Gotham Magic
by KFGatri and Raven
Summary: A crossover with The BatmanSuperman Adventures. What if the Saint Tail characters lived in Gotham City?
1. The New Kid

Gotham Magic

Episode 1

Prologue

"A Brief Encounter with a Scary Guy"

Debbie watched in amazement while a wicker basket suspended in mid air floated gently down to rest in front of her. Out popped Kasha, the fluffy calico kitten she thought she'd never see again, after her family moved to their new house. A small note read "Take good care of your kitten. St. Tail"

On the ledge above St. Tail smiled as the little girl clutched up the squirming kitten and ran to her mother.

Another job well done and another happy person. She took to the rooftops and bounded off over Gotham towards home.

Suddenly she was overcome by the feeling that she was being watched. As she stopped to look around a cloaked figure appeared in the shadows before her. She ducked quickly away, narrowly avoiding the bola thrown by him to capture her, and took cover behind an air conditioning unit. Watching from her hiding spot she saw him give a cursory glance her way and then off into the distance. With a moment's hesitation, he turned and fired a grapple and with a flourish of his cloak, he swung off into the distance. The moon broke through the clouds and illuminated her attacker's distinctive black and gray costume, giving her a good view for the first time. Saint Tail realized, with a sense of anxiety, that she had just been confronted by the vigilante Batman.

* * *

Episode One

The New Kid

"A Boy Goes To a New School and Meets a Very Interesting Girl"

Tim was examining his schedule and trying to derive the location of his next class before the late bell rang. Starting high school was tough enough and being three weeks late did not help matters at all. Coming back from some extra marshal arts training abroad had already made him late by two weeks. And the weekend he was supposed to spend with his girlfriend Kory turned in to a week long mission with the whole gang. Well being late, I guess, is a small price to pay for saving Manhattan again. Yeah, I thought this would be exciting, sure. Join the long underwear brigade and have exciting adventures. Have all your dates with your girlfriend turn into missions to save the world. Yeah, great. Suddenly he collided with someone and went sprawling across the floor in a pile of papers and books. He glared at a girl with long red hair and blue eyes. She was sitting on the floor in front of him glaring angrily. Simultaneously they blurted out, "Hey, you watch what you're doing! Me? You watch what you're doing!"

Hearing the bell they both gathered up their things in a rush and ran off to their class arriving at the same class at the same time. They both glared at each other again and took their seats.

The Bio teacher Mr. Guarini said "Take out your lab manuals and get together with your partners and turn to the lab on photosynthesis, on page 47." Tim rummaged through his backpack. Crap, where is my manual? I know I had it a little bit ago. He was a little annoyed with himself when he heard a curt voice say, "Excuse me, I'm sure this is yours." Grudgingly, he looked up and took his manual from the outstretched hand of the stupid girl from the hall.

Before he could say anything Mr. Guarini called out, "Well Mimi it appears you've finally found a lab partner. Now if you could please have a seat and get started the rest of us could too. "

Flushed, Mimi said, "Come on kid, my lab table is over here." She dragged Tim over to her table, and he resigned himself to being her partner. As they listened to the lab procedure, Tim thought, "Well, if we're going to get anything done, we need to get along." After the teacher finished, Tim looked at his partner, who was putting on a slim pair of wire-framed reading glasses. He had to admit, the glasses gave her an intellectual look that was kind of appealing. Looking very annoyed, she turned to him.

"What?!?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry about snapping at you in the hall. I guess I should have been paying more attention. It's my first day, and this place is like a maze."

The annoyance faded. "Yeah, it took me a week to get this place figured out. And I'm sorry, too."

"My name's Tim, by the way."

She smiled. "Mimi Hanover. First day, huh? Why'd you start so . . ."

The Bio teacher poked his head between them. "And I'm Jack Guarini. And this is a Biology class. Get to work!"

They both scrambled to get their lab materials.

* * *

Tim had wanted to buy his lunch rather than deal with making it that morning, but after seeing what passed for edible for St. Paulia's, he was glad that Alfred insisted on making his first lunch. He planned to let Alfred continue making it. As he scanned the room for a place to sit, he felt a sharp tug on his sleeve.

"Hey Tim, you can sit with us."

Turning around he saw Mimi sitting with some of her friends. At least he could only assume they were her friends since he didn't recognize any of them from his classes so far. Except for one dark haired girl who he thought he might have seen in Bio earlier. He pulled up a chair and squeezed in.

Mimi said, "So how's your first day going so far?"

"Smashingly" He replied smugly. "But I've got some catch up to do."

"Well this is my best friend, Sarah Monroe. She's in Bio with us."

"Yeah, I thought she seemed familiar." he said.

"And these two are Renee and Karen" She continued.

"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Tim Drake."

"Oh, you live with Bruce Wayne.", said Sarah. "Oh wow the rich millionaire!" blurted Karen and Renee at the same time. "You didn't tell me that!" said Mimi.

"Well, it's not like I go around town telling cute girls that I am the heir to the richest guy in Gotham." Karen and Renee sighed in unison. Noting this with a hint of embarrassment, Tim continued, "I kind of wanted to keep a low profile. I just want to be just one of the guys. And I wasn't going to some stuck up prep school with a bunch of snobs."

"Yeah I can see what you mean. Oh yeah, we should swap telephone numbers to work on our labs." mentioned Mimi, Karen said, "Yeah, that's a good idea! What's your number?" Tim questioned, "But we're not in the same class." "Oh yeah guess you're right He He", she giggled. "Well I stink at bio and I can tell you're a cute - um - I mean smart guy and I can always use some help." "Umm, well maybe I'll try to squeeze it in between homework and seeing my girlfriend." "Oh. Yeah well that'd be cool too." she said, obviously disappointed. "Hey guys lay off! I invited him to sit with us to make some friends not to become the catch of the day."

"Protecting your investment, Hanover?"

"Shut up Dan." She snapped. She jumped up and confronted a dark-haired boy. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

"Oh, touchy, huh? You must really like him or maybe you just like his money." He snidely remarked.

"You can be such a jerk. He's just my lab partner! I didn't even know who he was until just now."

"Well, it's never too early to start sinking your claws into him."

"Are they always like this?" Tim whispered to Karen.

"Yeah this is pretty much normal, although Dan is being a little harsh today. He probably just got his butt handed to him by St. Tail again last night and that always makes him a bit intolerable and Mimi loves to goad him about it. It's like they were married or something."

Tim decided he'd had enough. "Well, it was nice meeting you guys. I've got to go to the library before class."

Mimi glanced at him. "No Tim, sit. You don't have to go because of Dan. He just feels inadequate because he can't ever catch St. Tail. She's too smart for him."

"Wait a minute! St. Tail isn't too smart for me, she's just been lucky so far!"

"Really, I don't even know why your dad even lets you tag along just because St. Tail baits you with those letters. I guess she finds you amusing, which is more than I can say for you!"

Tim started to get up and leave. Mimi shoved him back in his seat. "I SAID SIT!" ....Crash! Tim's chair tipped spilling him on the floor for the second time that day. "See what you did, Dan? Are you OK, Tim?"

"Oh just peachy thanks." He replied testily. "I think I will go to the library now. See you guys later." he said as he collected himself from the floor.

Mimi ran after him "I'm sorry Tim. Dan just gets under my skin in a bad way."

"Yeah, I can see what you mean. I learn quick - I'll be sure to give you two plenty of room in the future."

"Well, not too much I hope."

"Nah. It's not every day I fall for a girl twice in one morning."

Rinnngggg!!!!!

"Well, got to get to class. See ya tomorrow."

"Ok. - Oh wait here's my number!" Mimi handed Tim a slip of paper.

"Wait, when did you write it down?" He said as she ran off but she didn't hear him.

Strange girl, but she's really cute. he thought. Whoa, wait you've got a girlfriend remember, stupid? Man, Starfire would skin me if she could read minds.

* * *

Tim sat in a large Victorian-style chair in the living room in Wayne Manor, perusing his Ancient History text. He looked up to see Bruce Wayne, who took a seat on the couch across from Tim.

"Welcome back. Sorry I wasn't able to meet your flight in yesterday, but I was out of town. Out of this world, actually. The League had a request for help from Darkseid of all people. So how was Paris?"

"A lot of fun, and very profitable. I learned a lot."

"I'll see how much later." said Bruce with a slight smile. "I saw the reports on Major Disaster's attempt to destroy New York. You handled that very well."

"It was a team effort. I'm the leader of the Teen Titans, but the whole team contributed. I couldn't have taken Disaster down myself."

"True, but I'm still proud of you. So how was your first day of school? Think you'll be able to catch up all right?"

"I might have to stay home a few nights to do it, but yeah."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I do have something I want you to look into, though. A new player showed up while you were away training – a thief called Saint Tail."

That got Tim's attention. "She was mentioned a couple times at school today. No real facts though – just rumors about a female Robin Hood."

"From what I've found out, the rumors may not be far off the mark. Everything she's stolen has turned out to have been acquired illegally. She appears to steal the items to return them to their legitimate owners. She also gives a warning about her next target to a boy in your school, named Daniel . . ."

". . . Anderson Jr.! Yeah, I met him today. He's kind of a jerk, actually. Likes to play detective. He gets these warning notes, and passes them on to his dad, Detective Anderson, with the stipulation that he gets to come along."

"That simplifies things. I want you to keep an eye on Daniel, and find out when he gets a warning from St. Tail."

"You want me to try to capture her?" Tim asked. "If she's helping people, I'm not sure I should."

"No, at least not yet. Just observe her for now. Find out whether she is really just returning stolen items, or if there's more to her operation. If she is what she appears to be, we'll leave her alone. It's not like what we do is strictly legal, after all. I just want to find out what the story is on her. We'll decide what, if anything, to do about her later. I ran into her last week, though I only got a quick look at her. She seemed to be about your age, with long red hair worn in a ponytail, dressed in a costume with a magician theme. She seems to use stage magic as her modus operandi. Also she's very quick, and almost as agile as Nightwing."

"So basically I need to look for a teenage, red-haired Zatanna." Tim laughed. Red hair . . . Nah, that's too much of a coincidence.

Alfred walked in. "Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes. Master Bruce, I hope you'll be able to stay for Timothy's first dinner home."

Bruce grinned. "I think I can manage that. The city can wait a couple hours."

* * *

Three weeks later:

Robin crept along the rooftop, carefully using the shadows to avoid detection. Before he set out on this mission, Batman had restated that its purpose was reconnaissance, not capture. He watched as his subject, the thief Saint Tail, landed gracefully on a ledge on the building ahead of him, the Gotham LexInn South hotel. On the ground below his – well, Tim's classmate Daniel Anderson Jr. struggled to keep up on his bicycle. Robin wondered if Dan really knew how dangerous his hobby was. All the evidence pointed to St. Tail being on the side of the angels, but others in Gotham weren't so benevolent.

Suddenly St. Tail turned and scanned the area behind her. Robin quickly pulled his black cape over his costume, improving his camouflage. Had she spotted him? He waited, unmoving, for a few minutes as St. Tail watched. Then her attention was diverted. Robin saw Dan climb out a window onto the ledge, and move hesitantly toward St. Tail. While the thief was distracted, Robin bat-grappled over to the hotel, and quickly concealed himself in the shadows above her.

St. Tail was trying to convince Dan to go back inside. Robin was too far away to hear clearly, but she sounded familiar. Before he could ponder that however, he saw Dan slip from the ledge. He moved instantly, dropping to the ledge next to Saint Tail. With one hand he threw a batarang with a cable attached. He grasped the one of the bars affixed to the nearest window in the other hand. The batarang looped around Dan's waist, and the line pulled taut, stopping Dan's fall. Robin was pulled off the ledge, but his grip on both the bar and the line held. Now what, genius? The line's too short to lower him to the ground, and after pulling my arms like that I can't hold him for long. His shoulders were already starting to hurt.

He nervously watched St. Tail pull out her wand. If Batman was wrong about her, I'm history. She pointed to the ground below Dan and counted, "One . . . two . . . three!" A pile of balloons appeared in a puff of smoke. Robin understood her intention, and let the line slide through his hand, lowering Dan as far as possible. Once the end was reached, he let go, and Dan fell into the balloons, dazed, but apparently unhurt.

Robin swung himself back onto the ledge, and looked at St. Tail, who checked Dan for a moment, then turned her attention to Robin. She was dressed in a black vest with tails, covering a sleeveless white top. Long black gloves reached past her elbows. The vest ended at a short pink skirt, and her legs were covered with black tights. The top portion of her face was covered with a black mask, though her blue eyes were visible, and her long red hair was tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon. She looked a lot like his friend Mimi Hanover. In fact, she looked exactly like . . .

"Mimi?" "Tim?"

To be continued . . .

Authors Notes

Unlike Piers Anthony we're going to explain the story premise and the origin of the characters that we have derived for this story . We'll spare you the gruesome details of our personal lives.

We being KFGatri, and Raven have decided to combine our twisted imaginings and throw two animated / comic characters together of course are nothing alike but we're going to pull it off any way. How did we think of it. Well we were sitting around shooting the sh thinking of unlikely hero vs. hero and who would come out on top. And we almost split our sides thinking of how although St. Tail is super-

capable in her own show she wouldn't' last five minutes in a match up against the "The Dark Knight"

...Ok.... Now get serious and pull yourself together.

Well we thought it would be cool to make a crossover that focused on the two characters that are most similar in age Robin (Tim Drake) and St. Tail.

Well the whole world knows that Batman lives in Gotham so for all of this to work we decided to Americanize the cast from St. Tail.

Mimi Hanover is of course Meimi Haneoka; Daiki Asuka Jr. became Dan Anderson Jr. And some of the characterization has changed a bit.

We're keeping it close but this is a work of art after all and we want our shining talent to show through.

Although the name is the same Robin you may notice some differences between our Shining Hero and the B:AS Robin We wanted something closer to the original comic Tim Drake and especially the version from Young Justice. This series takes place three year after the last season of Batman the Animated Series, AKA "Gotham Knights" And is meant to take place at the

same time as the second season of Justice League, and the first season of Teen Titans, But don't let that be your guide In fact plan on not knowing what the h is going to happen next . I'm trying to keep this all age friendly with out boring our more Wizened Readers Hence the symbols in place of key letters after all we don't know all the ages of the members of this news group.

That is our concession to Political Correctness. And that's all you're going to get. Oh and beware of future episodes PG 13 scenes. We'll let you know maybe. For the Sanity of the readers of these authors notes we have decided to alternate the writing of said notes every other episodes. Feel free to sigh now. You won't be

punished by these types of author's notes again until episode 3.

Not so Sincerely

Raven


	2. Catch & Release

Gotham Magic Episode 2 – Catch and Release

"In which birds of a feather don't necessarily flock together"

St. Tail leaped across the rooftops, reveling in the freedom. It had been nearly a month since she'd been in action, and she'd been bored. Recovering the jade dragon statue from Robert Aparo had been easy, even with the traps the police had set. The only downside was she'd had to reschedule her Bio homework date. Not that she particularly liked the subject, but her lab partner Tim Drake was another story. At least he had been understanding about her needing to reschedule. If only he didn't already have a girlfriend. . . She turned her thoughts back to her current task.

On the ground below, Daniel Anderson Jr. followed on his bicycle, yelling at her to stop, as always. She could just ditch him, of course, but that wouldn't be as much fun. She decided to lead him in circles a while before returning the statue to Mr. Coldfeather. A frown crossed her face for a moment as she remembered Sarah's objection to this mission. So she'd approached the guy as St. Tail on the street. He had seemed genuinely upset, and who wouldn't under those circumstances? Mr. Aparo had tricked him into lending the statue, and now his boss was going to fire him unless he got it back. She should help anyone who needs it, not just the ones who find their way to the school chapel.

She turned to make sure she hadn't lost Dan, when she noticed movement in the shadows on the building she'd just jumped from. On her level. She jumped again, landing gracefully on the 10th story ledge of the Gotham LexInn South. She didn't want to bring trouble back to Mr. Coldfeather along with the statue. She pulled out a few cards and watched, ready to throw them. The thief waited for a few minutes, but she saw nothing. Maybe I imagined it. 

"Now I've got you, St. Tail! Give yourself up!"

She turned and saw Dan standing unsteadily on the ledge. The idiot had climbed out after her! "Go back inside! You're going to fall!" she called out to him.

"Not without you! Now surren-yipe!" Dan was cut off as his foot slipped. He started to plummet to the ground.

St. Tail had only begun to reach for her wand when a red and green blur leaped past her. The figure threw an object which wrapped around Dan's waist, and grabbed one of the bars on the window next to him. He was yanked off the ledge, but his grip on the bar held. Dan dangled precariously 3 floors from the ground. St. Tail pointed her wand at the ground and chanted, "One two three!" A large pile of balloons appeared below Dan. Realizing her intent, Robin let the rope slide through his gloved hand, and released the end. They watched Dan land safely in the balloons, a bit shaken up, but apparently unhurt.

Still in shock over Dan's brush with death, St. Tail turned and looked at Robin. He was about her height, dressed in a black and yellow cape covering a red tunic and green pants and sleeves. He had black spiky hair, and a small green mask covered his eyes. There was an expression of shock on his face. A face St. Tail recognized.

"Tim?" "Mimi?"

This isn't happening! St. Tail told herself. Tim Drake is Robin. He knows who I am and-I-can't-deal-with-this-I-have-to-get-out-of-here! She ran, not caring where she went, as long as she escaped. She didn't dare look, but she knew Robin was right behind her.

Dan shook his head to try to clear it, and watched the thief and the supposed vigilante above. He wasn't about to try to stand yet, so he tried to follow what was going on. St. Tail and Robin looked at each other, and Dan guessed they were talking. Then they both took off to the south. Dan tried to stand, but his legs rebelled. He landed on his back, and felt something hard under his shoulder. He pulled out a tissue – it might be evidence, so he shouldn't get fingerprints on it – and picked up the batarang Robin had used to save him. They're obviously working together. This might be just what I need to get them both. 

St. Tail felt like she'd been running forever, but she finally lost Robin. But she was exhausted – he was a lot more tenacious than Dan, and far more skilled. She sat on a fire escape – she had no idea what building – catching her breath. Getting away tonight wouldn't solve the problem. She'd still have to see Tim at school tomorrow, but by then maybe she'd have a way to deal with it. Maybe Sarah would have some ideas. Maybe she could leave the country. She stood and pulled out her hat to release her travel balloon – she was too tired to make it to the delivery point on foot – when she heard a whistling sound. Two batarangs embedded themselves in the wall on either side of her, and a third knocked the hat from her hand. Before she could react, a bola wrapped itself around her, pinning her arms to her waist. A grappling claw dug itself into the wall above her, and Robin swung down onto the fire escape. He was obviously tired from the chase, though he hid it well. His face was unreadable as he said, "We need to talk."

Okay, I've been caught. At least I helped a lot of people. And it took a legend to catch me. she thought proudly. "Umm, hi Tim. I guess there's no point trying to hide it – I'm St. Tail. W-what are you going to do?"

"I honestly don't know. I'll have to call Batman."

"Do you have to? Can't we keep this to ourselves? Waitaminute – if you're Robin, then is Mr. Wayne Batman?" Oh, great. Nice one, blabbermouth. Why not just say I'm an idiot and can't be trusted.' and save time? 

Robin hung his head in defeat. "I am SO dead. But that just means I really have to bring the big guy in. Especially since you're nothing but a crook after all."

She glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? I admit I'm a thief, but I only steal things from people that don't belong to them. And it's not like I keep any of it – I return everything to the proper owners!" Behind her back, she pulled out a knife and started to cut the bola.

"Then why did you take that statue?" asked Robin.

"He swiped it from Mr. Coldfeather's boss! Why else would I go after it?"

"No, he didn't!"

"How would you know?"

"Because he got it from Bruce Wayne."

"Oh." She pondered that for a moment. "Then Mr. Coldfeather tricked me. Why would he . . .?"

"Because he works for the Penguin." Robin explained in a condescending tone. "He handles all of Cobblepot's shady dealings."

"Let me go. I have to return the statue."

"Batman & I will handle that. You're not going anywhere. I still don't buy this crap about you being tricked."

"If I really were a crook, I'd be long gone!" St. Tail handed the remnants of the bola to him. "I messed up, I know. Please let me fix this." His expression softened, and he cracked a smile. "Not bad. All right," he said, "I'll give you a chance to prove your innocence. Go to your drop off, and I'll follow." She felt Robin attach something to one of the tails of her vest, but let him think he did it undetected. Probably a tracking device. I'll let it stay there for the moment. If I get rid of it, he'll never believe me. It's not like I can really get away, after all. Robin picked up her hat and returned it. St. Tail released her travel balloon, got her bearings, and drifted toward the delivery point.

Half an hour later, they arrived. They had covered more of the city than she'd realized. St. Tail created a balloon-suspended basket for the statue, and let it float down to where Mr. Coldfeather could see it. She wondered where Robin was hiding, but knew he was around. If Robin was right, hopefully they could take down Coldfeather. He was a huge man, and even considering Robin's reputation, it seemed doubtful. She moved closer to the ground and prepared to strike. Then she felt a sharp pain in her side, and she suddenly felt very sleepy . . .

As Coldfeather walked toward the basket, Robin saw St. Tail drop closer to the target, right into the sights of a man with a gun. The man fired and St. Tail collapsed.

No! Mimi! I have to – wait. Think, Drake. He stopped himself from leaping out. There were two goons with Coldfeather, and his arms were getting stiffer by the minute. I need backup, but I can't bring Batman into this. 

Robin took out his communicator. "Nightwing? You home?"

"Yeah." A sleepy voice replied. "I was just getting ready for a rare full night's sleep. What's up?"

"You know I'm monitoring St. Tail, right? She's just been drugged by her "clients" and they're loading her into their car. I need some help."

"Batman's not available?"

"You're . . . closer."

"Okay, I'll be there. Leave this signal on for me to track."

Robin watched the car pull off and followed, ignoring the soreness in his shoulders.

The car stopped at Dock 39, and the trunk popped ajar. Coldfeather and the goons got out, and one of the flunkies walked back to retrieve the cargo. Robin let go of his batgrapple, and landed in front of him. The young hero pulled out a small cylinder, which extended into a staff with a flick of his wrist. He knocked out the goon with a swing of the staff. The other goon tried to grab him, but instead took a kick to the stomach. Robin finished him with a punch to the jaw, then turned to confront Coldfeather, who approached from the other side of the car. He swung the staff, but Coldfeather grabbed it and pulled it from Robin's hands. A punch from the man sent Robin flying. As he regained his feet, Robin thought, One of these days I have to try fighting someone my own size. A blue and black blur slammed into Coldfeather, stopping his approach. Nightwing glanced at Robin, then turned back to Coldfeather. "Are you okay, kid?"

"Yeah, just winded." Robin replied to his "big brother". "Thanks."

"Get Saint Tail to safety. I'll clean up." Nightwing dodged Coldfeather's fist, then knocked the larger man to the ground with a leg sweep. Robin watched the criminal try unsuccessfully to grab Nightwing's leg, and then ran to the car. It was obvious that Nightwing wouldn't need help.

Robin noted, as he opened the trunk the rest of the way, that St. Tail seemed to be waking up. He pulled the girl out of the trunk, and took her to the roof of the nearest warehouse. He laid St. Tail on the roof, removing his cape to use as a pillow, and checked her vital signs. It was just a sedative, thank God. She's not going to feel too good, though. Robin looked over the edge of the roof to see Nightwing begin to tie up the perps.

The first thing St. Tail noticed as she woke up was the breeze, which was cool and smelled of saltwater. She heard the sound of ships not too far off. Her eyes refused to focus at first, but after a moment the shapeless thing above her became Robin, looking worried. In her dazed, half-conscious state, she didn't remember the evening's events. All she could think of was escape.

"No! you won't catch me!" she slurred, jumping up to run. St. Tail quickly regretted her actions, since the world began to spin and someone pulled the ground (or were they on a rooftop?) out from under her. Robin caught her and sat on the roof with her. He cradled her in his arms, and whispered, "It's all right. You can relax. I'm not going to turn you in. I just want to help."

St. Tail leaned against Robin, her head against his chest. Her memory of the evening's events returned, but instead of being worried about the situation, she felt . . . safe. Her head still felt fuzzy, but one thought was crystal clear: St. Tail knew she could trust Robin. As the pain in her head subsided, she realized she could feel his warmth through the padded material of his suit. He must have had to fight Mr. Coldfeather and whoever was with him, because his heart was pounding from the exertion, and he was breathing a bit fast. He smelled like sweat, but the scent wasn't unpleasant. She looked up at his face, and wondered what he was thinking. St. Tail wished his eyes were visible.

"Should I come back later?" St. Tail and Robin both turned toward the voice. She saw a man dressed in a black suit with a dark blue bird design on the chest and shoulders.

"I'm making sure she's all right. She tried to get up and fell and. . ." Robin stammered, blushing to the point that his face almost matched his tunic.

"Riiiight. I'll leave you to your examination, Doctor. Catch!" Nightwing tossed the statue to Robin. Robin looked at St. Tail. "Will you be okay for a minute? I need to talk to Nightwing." She just nodded. She looked around and saw Robin's cape wadded up beside her; he'd used it as a pillow. A lightshow of spots in front of her eyes convinced her to lay back onto the pillow. She closed her eyes and listened to the conversation. They were whispering, but she could just make it out.

"So what's the deal with the girl?" asked Nightwing.

"She really is trying to help people, like Batman thought. This time she was tricked into stealing for the Penguin, but she wouldn't have done it normally. I'm not going to turn her in." St. Tail smiled at that. She was glad Tim trusted her.

"Are you sure that's really the reason? You two looked awfully cozy a moment ago. And she is _very_ cute." Nightwing said smugly.

"Don't start! She tried to get up, and got dizzy. What was I supposed to do, let her fall?"

"But she _is_ cute, right?" Nightwing prodded.

-St. Tail listened intently.-

". . . Yeah, she is."

-She fought to suppress a grin.-

"Now what will Starfire say about this? I wonder how they deal with two-timers on Tamaran? Maybe I should tell her."

The grin faded. While Mimi had known that Tim had a girlfriend, and she wouldn't think of trying to break them up, the idea of dating Tim _had_ crossed her mind. If they broke up, that is. But if Tim was Robin, then the girlfriend he talked about was, of course, Starfire. Which put him out of Mimi's league. Why would he be interested in her after going out with an exotically beautiful alien princess? She was distracted from her train of thought as the conversation resumed.

"Do and die."

"Heh heh heh, a little touchy, there, Robin?"

"Shut up!"

"See ya, Robin!"

There was a moment's pause, and St. Tail heard Robin's voice next to her. "Are you awake?" St. Tail sat up tentatively, and was relieved when her head remained clear. "Yeah" she said. "I don't know what happened, but I guess I should thank you for saving my life. What did happen, anyway?"

"Coldfeather was going to dump you in the river. I was able to take the other two no problem, but Coldfeather was too much for me as tired as I am. Fortunately, I called Nightwing for backup. I didn't tell him what happened."

"From now on, I'm letting Sarah choose my missions."

"Sarah's in on it, too?!?"

"Oops. Yeah. In fact, Saint Tail was kind of her idea. People come to the chapel at school to pray for help, and Sarah listens to their problems. If they seem genuine, and it's something I can help with, she tells me."

Robin grinned. "She's the last person I'd suspect as your contact. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I should have been more open-minded, especially considering your reputation."

"Thanks. I can see why you were suspicious, though. And my recognizing you didn't help. I promise I won't tell anyone who you are."

"Me neither."

"Not even Batman?" St. Tail put on her best "pleading little girl" look. It always worked on her dad, so it was worth a shot.

Robin looked conflicted for a moment. "All right, not even Batman. Want me to return this?" He held up the statue.

"No, I took it, I should return it. I could use a hand, though, I still don't feel 100."

"Deal."

Robin walked to the "locker room" area of the Batcave and began changing. First, he removed his belt and the gear attached to it. Man, I really screwed up tonight. I blew my recon, and my identity. 

Then the mask and gloves came off. And to top it off, I didn't tell Batman. He knew something was wrong when he picked me up – he saw I'm hurt. It wasn't my fault I was recognized, so why am I hiding it? 

Tim removed his cape, laid it on a nearby table, and began undoing the fasteners for the suit itself. Because Mimi asked me to. What's wrong with me? Bruce trusts me with his life and his secret, and I'm risking that trust, heck our ability to be Batman & Robin, for someone I just met last month. I'm jeopardizing everything we've accomplished because of a pretty face. . . . Man, what would Star do if she found out? 

He put the suit and cape on a hanger, and hung it on the rack Alfred had labeled "To be cleaned." He pulled on a robe and turned to the exit. I just don't know what to do. Maybe things will be clearer in the morning. He walked up into the mansion, and carefully closed the hidden door, making sure it closed seamlessly. A shower can wait. I need to get some sleep. 

Mimi, now dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, climbed in the window of her second-story bedroom. She had a headache and her side hurt where the dart had hit. I'll have to talk to Sarah about what happened. Maybe she'll know how to handle this. 

She pulled a nightgown out of her dresser, and laid it on her bed. She pulled her sneakers off rather than untying them. I hope Tim keeps his word. He doesn't strike as the type to break a promise. But then I really don't know him that well. Look what he was hiding. Yeah, like _I_ can complain about _him_ having secrets. 

Mimi pulled the sweatshirt over her head, and tossed it in her hamper. What does he think of me now? I'm helping people, but I'm still a thief. What if he doesn't understand why I do this? What if he tells me to stop? The jeans followed the shirt, then she pulled on the nightgown. What if he hates me now? She shivered at the last thought.

Mimi grabbed a recent issue of Newstime, and found the article for which she had wanted it – the one on the Teen Titans. She flipped to a picture of Starfire and studied it. Tall, beautiful, big busted, and a princess to top it all off. No wonder Tim likes her. She posed like the picture and studied her reflection. Versus a short magician's daughter with practically no bust. Dream on, Mimi. Yeah, Tim thinks I'm cute, but she's gorgeous. I wouldn't stand a chance. Disgusted, she threw the magazine in the trash and flopped into bed. Realizing she'd left the light on, Mimi "tugged" on the switch with her magic to turn it off. It was quite a while before her thoughts would let her sleep.

Author's Notes:

It's okay, this set of notes is safe to read. (Off to the side) Quit complaining! Straitjackets are supposed to be tight!

Anyway, I think a little more background into the development of GM is in order. Although you could call it a crossover series, it's really more adapting Saint Tail to the animated DCU. The really weird part is how easy it was. The hardest part was coming up with new names for the characters.

The opening scene of this episode and the cliffhanger of the first seemed a natural way to set our series apart from the originals. It really strained credibility at times that Asuka Jr. never recognized Meimi. It made him seem rather clueless, actually. So I decided that our St. Tail should wear a mask (for all the good it does her.) And, of course, Robin's mask doesn't conceal anything but his eye color.

There's probably a few readers who would argue that I shouldn't be tying this into Teen Titans, since that Robin is Dick. While "How Long is Forever?" did suggest that he is Dick Grayson, IMO there's a lot more about TT Robin that points to Tim. He dresses like Tim, fights like Tim and acts like Tim (in Young Justice.) I planned this from the start using Tim, and we both really like Robin having an "older brother" figure in Nightwing. And dropping the Titans angle isn't an option; we have plans. Evil laughter 


	3. Consequences

Gotham Magic Episode 3 – Consequences

"_In which the ties of friendship are tested."_

"So you're telling me that your "client" last night was actually a crook, and he almost killed you. Then Nightwing and Robin rescue you, and you told Robin who you are. Does that about sum it up, Mimi?" Sarah looked like she wanted to hit something, or more likely someone, quite a change from the Sister-in-training's usual calm demeanor. She was pacing at a brisk rate, and Mimi wondered how long the grass would hold out. She'd met with Sarah at their usual spot on the grounds of St. Paulia's looking for advice, not a lecture.

"You were right about him, I admit. I should have listened to you. But I didn't _tell_ Robin my identity, he recognized me!"

"Do you realize what a disaster this is? If he tells the police, or worse, Batman . . ."

"Robin won't. He promised me he wouldn't even tell Batman. I know him and I know I can trust him."

The dark-haired girl stopped pacing. "You know him? You just met him. . . Unless you mean you know the _real_ him. You know who Robin is?"

Mimi thought about covering it up, but she knew Sarah would see though any lie. "Yeah, I recognized him, too."

Sarah's eyes burned with curiousity. "Who is he? Someone from school?"

"I can't tell you. We both agreed to not tell anyone. I asked Robin not to tell Batman, and I know he thinks he's taking a huge risk. I have to prove he can trust me."

"You know you can trust me. I keep your secret."

Mimi sighed. Sarah wasn't usually this pushy; why was she taking this so badly? "Yeah, MY secret. But this isn't mine. I know you wouldn't tell anyone, but if Robin found out, he'd think I betrayed his trust. You do understand, right. It's not that I don't trust you. You're my best friend, and I can tell you anything. Except this."

Just then the bell rang, and they walked to the main building, somewhat quieter that usual.

* * *

Tim climbed out of the limousine and said a quick goodbye to Alfred. He usually didn't like being chauffered to school, but his shoulders were still sore from last night. Walking to school with a full load of books wouldn't have been fun. At least he'd talked Alfred into dropping him off a block away.

As he entered the school grounds, he saw Mimi and Sarah entering the building. Mimi looked somewhat regretful, and Sarah reminded him of an oncoming storm. Apparently Mimi had told Sarah about last night. I wonder just how much she told Sarah. No, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. At this point, I'm in so deep that it wouldn't matter if Sarah knew, anyway.

Tim entered the school, walked to his locker, and quickly exchanged his load of books for the ones for his first class. He looked at his watch, and saw it was almost time for homeroom.

He made it just as the final bell rang, and took his seat in the back (one of the "benefits" of starting school late.) He watched Mimi as the teacher took attendance. Man, she looks about as good as I feel. She must not have gotten much sleep either. We really need to discuss last night. He looked around and noted Dan's absence. Tim wondered if the detective-wannabe was all right. He'd looked okay from the brief look Tim had had, but he'd been too distracted to really check. Well, not much I do now. I just have to get though the day.

* * *

It was lunchtime, and Tim was getting annoyed. Every time he tried to talk to Mimi, she ducked down a hallway, or the girls' restroom, or something. She was proving more elusive today than she had been as Saint Tail.

Tim spotted Mimi with their usual group, and headed over to join them. "Room for one more?" he asked, managing to sound far more relaxed than he felt. Mimi tensed up for a moment, and Sarah replied. "Of course, Tim. You don't even need to ask." He took the seat next to Karen, who immediately went into "cute mode". The attention was flattering, even if he wasn't interested in her that way. Meanwhile, Mimi was doing an excellent job of avoiding eye contact. And apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Is something bothering you, Mimi?" Renee asked. "You've been acting weird all day."

"Huh? I'm fine."

"You coulda fooled me. You've been jumpy all day, and I could swear you've been avoiding Tim."

That snapped Karen out of cute mode. She turned to Tim. "Yeah, you're right. Tim, did you do something to make Mimi mad at you?" Both girls stared accusingly, and Tim suddenly felt like a cornered animal.

Fortunately Mimi came to his defense. "No, he didn't do anything. I just have some stuff on my mind."

Karen & Renee went back to chatting, but Tim noticed Sarah was studying him closely. Not in an accusing way, but thoughtfully. For some reason, that made him far more nervous.

Lunch was about the same as always, except Mimi was unusually quiet. While Tim talked with the other girls, he kept an eye on her. She seemed scared, and was obviously looking for an escape route. She was wolfing down her lunch, completely ignoring the conversations around her. Tim wondered if he would have to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. He already liked her too much, so he wasn't comfortable with getting that personal. Mimi gulped down the last of her soda, stifled a burp, and stood up. "Um, I have to go. Bye," she said as she started to leave.

Tim jumped up and caught up with her. "Mimi, hold on a sec." He called to her, sounding more confrontational than he'd intended. He caught her arm, and Mimi stopped, but made no move to turn around.

He pushed the frustration out of his head and quietly continued. "Meet me at the park at 7 tonight. Don't dress up."

"Is that an order?" she asked just as quietly.

"No. I'm asking you. We need to figure this out."

"A-all right. 7 oclock."

Mimi continued on her way, and Tim walked back to his seat to finish lunch. Karen & Renee was whispering.

"So what was all that?" Renee asked.

"Looked like a lover's quarrel to me. Didn't you tell us you have a girlfriend, Timmy?" Karen replied

"I do. And it's _Tim_."

Renee contined the line of interrigation. "So what was that just now?"

Fortunately Tim was used to thinking on his feet. "We need to get together on this week's lab report."

Tim thought that they would make a great tag team as Karen picked up the line. "Really? You two looked awfully emotional there for it to have been about biology. Someone better tell Dan that he's got competition."

With a sly smile, Renee shot back, "Sounds more like Chemistry to me."

Sarah jumped in, "All right, cut it out you two."

They kept it up for the rest of the lunch period, and Tim wondered if showing them his girlfriend would put the subject to rest. If he could figure a way to make Starfire look human, that is.

* * *

After school Mimi went over to the chapel to meet Sarah. She was feeling a little apprehensive. I can't figure out why Sarah can't understand why I can't tell her about Tim. I know I've never kept anything from her in the past but this is different. This is not my secret to tell. She's not being fair to me. We've been friends so long and she has always trusted my judgment before.

She entered the chapel. Sarah was praying and didn't appear to hear her. Mimi took a seat behind her and waited, not wanting to disturb her. When Sarah finished she turned and said, "We have a new person to help. This is sort of different from our usual work. A young woman was here asking for God's help. Victoria looked as if she'd been crying. She and her grandmother own an antique shop which has been in the family for over a hundred years. One of the items that they had in the store was a display piece that was not for sale. It was an antique broach that belonged to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Several times a buyer, Warren Winntrop, has been in and made very attractive offers for the piece but the grandmother is adamant about not selling. Their business is not doing so well so Victoria wants to sell for capital for new ventures that will keep them in business.

"Oh" said Mimi.

"Well" said Sarah, "that's just the beginning. Someone has stolen the brooch and the Grandmother thinks Victoria took it to help the store. She is very angry with her and won't speak with her even when they're in the shop. They have always been close and this has hurt Victoria a lot. All she wants to do is prove herself to her grandmother and get back the brooch. But the person who took the brooch also took the security tape for that night. She feels that her grandmother will never speak to her again and she will have to quit working at the store. Victoria's parents died when she was little, so her grandmother is the only family she has."

"That's terrible" said Mimi.

"Yes" said Sarah. "She thinks the man who wanted to buy the brooch stole it and the tape. He didn't return after it was stolen, so the grandmother thinks Victoria sold it to him."

"That's horrible! We have to do something about that creep, and clear Victoria. St. Tail will get the brooch and tape back."

* * *

Mimi tried to sound like her usual self as she walked in the front door, but her normal "I'm home!" still lacked its usual pep. Her dad turned to her with a new prop, to demonstrate it as usual, but the smile on his face fell when he saw her.

"What's wrong?"

Mimi wracked her brain for an answer. Her parents didn't know about her "extracurricular activities" and she didn't want them to find out.

"Probably a boy!" Her mom called from the living room, where she was watching a cooking show.

"What? No! Mimi's still too young for that! Now what is _really_ the problem?" Mimi smiled a little at this. Dad just couldn't handle her growing up.

"Nothing, really. Just a rough day at school." She dropped her bag, and ran upstairs to get changed.

"Definitely a boy, Jerry."

"No way. He'd better stay away from my little girl."

"It'll happen eventually, you know."

"Eventually can be a long time, Amy." He set down the prop.

"Boys will start coming around. She's getting to be very pretty."

"Yup. She takes after her mother." Jerry jumped over the couch and sat next to his wife. "But she'll follow in my footsteps when she grows up. She'll be the lovliest magician ever."

"If you say so, Dear."

* * *

Mimi approached the center of Gotham Heights Park, and saw Tim waiting at the statue of Solomon Wayne. He was leaning against the base, with a paper bag at his feet.

He smiled when saw Mimi. "Hi! I'm glad you came. Shall we find someplace a little more private to talk?"

Mimi wasn't about to let that pass. "Excuse me? I'm not that kind of girl!" She laughed as Tim blushed.

Tim led her to a lone oak tree in the middle of a field. It was surrounded by its autumn foliage, and only a few leaves were still in place. "This should do." he said. "No way anyone could listen in casually, as long as we keep our voices down." He handed her a soda, and sat under the tree. Mimi brushed the leaves from beside Tim and joined him.

They sat silently for a few moments. Tim started. "Look, I wanted to meet because we left a lot up in the air last night. This whole thing has me freaked out and you're probably the same."

Mimi relaxed a bit. "Yeah, you're right. I just don't know what to do. And Sarah wasn't any help. She freaked when she found out, and she's still ticked because I wouldn't tell her who you are."

"Thanks, I know that wasn't easy. I didn't tell Bruce, either. I think he suspects there's more to last night than what I told, though."

Mimi's stomach went into knots. "So what did you tell him?"

"About the double-cross and rescue. He'd find out from Nightwing, anyway. I didn't tell him about saving Dan. No point in revealing that I blew my cover."

"I think he'd understand. So how did you end up as Robin? You can't be the first – you're too young. Nightwing was the original, right?"

"How can you be that smart and get such bad grades? Yeah, Nightwing used to be Robin. My old man worked for Two-Face, and got on his bad side.

"IF your dad was working for Two-Face, then why did he kill him?"

He wanted to blackmail Gotham with poison gas. Dad didn't want that on his conscience, so he hid one of the two components. He left me the key and ran. Two-Face figured I had it, so he went after me. Batman rescued me, and I ended up in the Batcave. I helped take Two-Face down as Robin, and Batman decided to let me keep the job. So what about you?"

"Well . . ."

To be continued.

* * *

Ahh you are a maniacal maniac I have bruises. Well any way well as you can see Duct tape works much better and if you don't keep quiet I'm going to remove it slowly strip by strip and that one spot just might be very uncomfortable. Let's see how you like it. Wicked grin Do the words bikini wax mean anything to you?

Well , now that I can concentrate lets get to business. I said quiet you.

You may all think that Sarah's characterization is a little extreme but you have to understand that they have a long standing relationship and Sarah is sort of used to running the show and she feels that Mimi's refusal to disclose the identity of Robin is sign of mistrust on Mimi's part and she feels a little betrayed by that . She feels that Mimi's judgment may be impaired as usual and that she is letting a great looking (got to keep it clean for the kiddies you know never know who will be reading this and I don't want to be corrupting any young minds unless I can see it in action) get in the way of her not so better judgment. And on Mimi's part she feels that the trust should stand on it's own and that Sarah should trust her no matter what. Sarah should know the secret is not hers to share and should understand. (Why doesn't any one understand me ?) I feel her pain. Not like I 'm not perfectly normal or anything. Some people who wear duct tape for instance are just plain crazy.

Anyway let's not get distracted. Tim of course is worried about keeping such a secret from Bruce for just the same reason but Tim's resolve is strengthened by the fact that Mimi didn't tell Sarah and is also noticably reassured by this fact. Besides a cute girl can get a guy to do anything - got to use our charms ;-) and judging by Starfire we know about Robin's weakness for redheads.

Well Since I'm not long winded or over descriptive like some one we all know too well likes to say I'll wrap this up . You guys don't think I 'm long winded do you 8-D Of course not silly of me to ask. Well good bye for now to all my loyal adoring fans until next time. Oh also on our site will be a vote to determine whether I should be the only one to grace these note with my talent and grace and if we should give the codger the boot. Your votes will tell. Because we all know that all know who the real genius in this team is anyway.


	4. Discussion

Gotham Magic Episode 4 by KFGatri & Raven

"Discussion"

"In which a girl tells her story and then busts a bad guy"

"Well", Tim prompted, "I told you my story now about you?"

She pursed her lips and thought out loud, "Hmmm. Well actually, my story doesn't compare to yours. It's sort of boring. First, I guess I should tell you how Sarah found out. I don't use my magic most of the time. Dad made me promise when I was little to keep it a secret until I'm ready to do it professionally.

"One day near the end of the last semester I forgot my Math text book in class. I had just gotten a chewing out by Mrs. Patterson for not doing my homework from the night before, and I didn't want to face her and have to listen to another lecture on preparedness and remembering all my materials. Math was my last class that day, and the book was right on my desk. So I went to the window and levitated my book right out the window. Mrs. Patterson was writing on the chalkboard for the next day's class. I almost had it out of the window before she turned and saw it just floating across the room. She looked as if she was going to have a heart attack! She ran to the window but I had already hidden in the bushes, so she never saw me. The next day we had a substitute." Mimi laughed.

"I thought no one was watching but it turned out that Sarah saw me . She came up to me and said, 'WOW! Mimi, How'd you do that?' Fortunately I was thinking fast and just giggled , and said, 'I've been working on a magic act that my Dad showed me. Pretty cool huh?'"

"Sarah laughed and said, 'Well it was sort of funny. You should have seen the look on Mrs. Patterson's face when she got to the window and no one was there. I think she thought she was going crazy.' I told her all about my Dad and his career. She thought it was cool and I told her I wanted to be a stage magician like him some day."

"A few weeks later Sarah came to me and asked me if I'd mind using my magic to do a good deed. I explained my promise, but agreed to hear her out. She told me a boy had come into the chapel and was crying and praying to God. Sarah saw him and asked why he was so upset."

"He said he had been accused of trying to steal the math final. He admitted he had been in the teacher's office and that he was going to play a prank. But he had never stolen a test or ever cheated at all. When he was in the office, he heard someone at the door and hid. He saw another boy, Frank Williams, take the final out of Mrs. Patterson's file cabinet and Xerox it. He couldn't believe it because he was a straight A student. It turned out however that that the exam was supposed to be extraordinarily hard and he wanted to work out the answers to sell the test to other students."

"He also said that because he was a prankster he had been kicked out of two other schools and this was his last chance at this one. His father was strict and if he got kicked out of St. Paulia's he would be sent to military school. He would only get to see his family on weekends and holidays. He loved his mom and sister and would miss them terribly.

"He knew no one would believe him if he told them that Frank had done it. He knew that he was done at St. Paulia's and he was just praying that God would help him. He said that if He did he'd never pull another prank at school or home ever again."

"I felt so bad for him I immediately agreed to help. I wasn't sure what I could do to help, though."

"Sarah replied, 'Retrieve the test from Frank and return it to the office with proof that Billy didn't do it.' 'I can do that easily', I said."

"I thought I would need to a disguise so no one would recognize me if I were seen. I had the perfect idea. Since I was going to be using magic to get back the final I figured I'd use the stage costume I was going to use if I ever did a show with my Dad. He wouldn't let me use the design; he said it was too revealing. I guess it shows too much shoulder."

"Well, you do look good in it." Tim commented.

"Ohwelluhthanks. Anyway, I thought thatwith a little work, the design would be perfect for this. But it only had one problem. I wanted to hide my face so no one would know it was me, if I was seen. So I got a blindfold from my dad's magic trunk and cut holes so I could see. It was perfect. I looked in the mirror and, well, maybe not so perfect. I decided my hair might get in the way. I fixed it up in a pony tail and tied it back with a black ribbon. And it was finally perfect. No one would recognize me, until you that is."

"I brought my costume to school the next day because there was a school assembly. I snuck out of it and changed into my costume. I figured he wouldn't have the test on him, since books weren't allowed at the assembly, so I checked his locker. It took a bit of searching, but I finally found it in the lining of his backpack. He had done some of the problems, so his handwriting was all the proof I needed. Just then Dan showed up. He was a Hall Monitor last year, so he wasn't at the assembly. He chased me right to the principal's office, and we barged right in. I hopped onto his desk, dropped the test, and jumped out the window. I got out of sight, and rigged a balloon with a decoy. It wasn't as detailed as the ones I use now, but it fooled Dan and let me slip back inside. I was able to change back into my uniform and slip into the assembly without being noticed."

"Anyway, Mr. Grigson drew the right conclusion from the test with Frank's handwriting on it. Frank was expelled, and Billy didn't have to go to military school. Since Sarah hears people's problems all the time as part of her duties, she suggested we do this regularly to help people. Of course I agreed; I couldn't pass up the chance to do good and have that much fun! Like I said, it's not much of a story compared to yours."

"Actually, that's pretty cool." Replied Tim. "You don't do it because of a tragedy, like Bruce & I. You help others simply because you can."

"And it's fun." Mimi grinned.

"But how did you come up with 'Saint Tail'?"

Mimi clasped her hands as if praying. "'Saint' for my virtuous motives. 'Tail' as in ponytail."

"Oh. I thought it had something to do with your cute little –"

"Hey!"

"Gotcha!" Tim laughed. "But do you really think it's a good idea to play up your most distinctive feature like that?"

Mimi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Red hair is the least common. How many teenage redheads with magician parents do you think live in the Gotham area? I checked, and there's only one – you."

"That wouldn't prove anything. Except for that time with Sarah, I keep my magic a secret."

"It's a starting point. Now that I know, a lot things about you point to your secret. You . . "

"What are you saying, that I should stop being St. Tail?" Mimi snapped.

"No, just that you need to be careful. You've got a lot of potential, but there's a lot you need to learn."

"So now I'm an amateur? Some of us don't have the benefit of being trained by Batman! Yeah, I'm still new at this, but I'm doing pretty well."

"Amazingly well, Mimi. You're better than I was after four months, even with Batman's training." Tim said, hoping to calm Mimi down. She was starting to attract unwanted attention.

Her expression brightened a little at the compliment. "Really?"

"Absolutely. I wasn't trying to imply you're an amateur or anything like that. I just want to help. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Mimi sighed. "Look, Tim. I appreciate your concern, but I really don't need help. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." She looked at her watch. "Shoot. I have to go. Stuff to take care of." She stood up, brushed the dirt off her jeans, and ran off. "See ya tomorrow, Timmy."

Tim frowned at the departing girl. Mimi knew he didn't like bring called "Timmy"! His annoyance faded, however, as he had a clear view of a certain cute little . . . Kory! I need to call Kory about next Friday. And I need to clear my plans with Bruce. I hope he agrees; it's a perfect opportunity.>

* * *

Dan sat on his bed, watching an old episode of _Zorro_. He shifted the icepack on his waist to soothe another area of the belt-like bruise that wrapped around it. He scowled and changed the channel; the show reminded him of the masked "hero" responsible for his injury. Besides, _Unsolved Mysteries_ was on. Robin may have saved my life, but Saint Tail would have too, if he hadn't beat her to it. And then I could have caught her, or gotten a good look at her at least. But no. She gets away again, Robin goes back to his aviary or wherever he hangs out, and I'm stuck here suffering.

Than he noticed that the screen had changed. The channel had broken in with a special report. The anchorwoman wasn't the usual one, though. She looked like an intern, judging by her age. She was dressed in a black suit, and her red hair was tied back . . .in . .. a . . . "Saint Tail!" yelled Dan, leaping out of bed to get a closer look at the screen. He was disappointed, but not surprised, to see she was wearing her usual mask.

"Took you long enough to notice!" said the girl on the screen. She put on a mock-serious demeanor. "Anyway . . . We interrupt this program to bring you this bulletin. Saint Tail will be collecting the brooch of Mary Shelly from the home of Warren Winntrop tomorrow night. Film at eleven!" There was a flash of static, and Robert Stack was back on.

Dan realized with a start that if Saint Tail had sent the message, she had to be nearby. He pulled on a shirt and ran outside, hoping to find the thief. He looked upward, since she usually kept to the rooftops, picked a direction, and ran down the street.

He barely noticed a voice saying, "Hey! Watch out!", but he couldn't ignore the barrier he hit, as he ran into someone. He looked down and realized he run right into Mimi Hanover, who was currently sprawled on the ground. The elbow of her jacket was stained with a mixture of dirt and blood. Of course she'd be the one he knocked down; just the perfect way to end a lousy day.

"Shoot, Mimi, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going. Saint Tail just left me a warning and I was trying to find her and . . ." Dan helped her up and brushed the dirt off the back of her jacket.

"Yeah, I might have guessed. You need a new hobby."

"That scrape on your arm looks pretty nasty. Why don't you come to my house and I'll take care of it? The least I can do, since I caused it."

Dan led her back to his house, marveling at the fact they hadn't started fighting yet. Maybe this is a good sign.> When they arrived, he grabbed the first aid kit from the kitchen and treated the scrape.

"You did that pretty well. Thanks." Said Mimi as she carefully moved her arm.

"Well, it wasn't anything serious, and Dad taught me a lot about first aid. And with his job, he gives me a lot of practice changing bandages. I learned real fast how to not hurt the injury worse. Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but Dad'll be home soon, and he'll get the wrong idea if he sees you here."

"Yours too? My dad thinks I should be eight years old forever."

I'm not gonna get a better chance> Dan thought. It's now or never!> "Mimi, has anyone asked you to the Halloween Dance yet?"

Her face displayed a mixture of curiosity and hope. "No, not yet."

"Would you like to go with me?"

"Okay."

"Great! Well, we'll need to figure out costumes, assuming you want to match, and . . ."

"Umm, Dan, didn't you say your dad would be home soon?"

"Shoot, yeah. Figure out the details later?" He said as he walked her to the door.

"Yup. I'll see you tomorrow." Mimi said as she stepped outside.

Dan closed the door and watched Mimi walk down the street. When she got far enough away that she wouldn't hear, he jumped, shouting, "YES!" A sharp pain ran up his side "ow. Where did I leave that icepack.?"

* * *

Batman looked at the clock again. Robin should have been back half an hour ago. He knew I wanted to start patrol early tonight. At that moment, Tim burst through the cave door and ran down the steps.

"Sorry I'm late! The study session ran overtime. Mimi was having trouble, and it took a while to get her set straight. Since we share the grade, I couldn't just leave her." Tim said as he began to change. He tossed his clothes on the cave floor and grabbed one of his suits from his closet.

"That's all right. You got the report finished?" Batman asked.

"Yup. And just in time – it's due tomorrow."

"Good. You got back just in time. That cocaine delivery is scheduled for ten. I wanted to do a sweep of the city first."

As Robin put on his belt and began selecting his gear, Batman picked up the clothes Robin had discarded. Alfred had enough work already. He was about to put the bundle in Tim's hamper, when he noticed a strand of light red hair on Tim's shirt. He removed it, and tossed in the clothes.

Robin called to him, "Well, I'm ready. Can I drive this time?"

"No." Batman replied as he climbed into the Batmobile. "No matter how many times you ask, the answer is still going to be no."

* * *

The next day, Mimi found Karen, Renee and Tim talking near the front gate of the campus. She was a little surprised at the reaction to her news, though.

Karen just turned to Tim "You should have moved quicker! Looks like you lost out."

Tim paused in the middle of fixing his tie. "Cut it out. I've got a girlfriend, who by the way, I'm hoping will be able to come to the dance. I invited Kory, and she's going to see if she can come down."

Renee looked dubious. "Really? This should be interesting. I thought you didn't go for the rich debutante type."

"I don't."

"So how can she afford to come for the dance?"

"Bruce is paying her train fare, and she's staying the weekend."

Karen spoke up. "So why don't we all get together? I'd like to get to know the girl who won the heart of St. Paulia's most eligible bachelor."

Tim looked like he was at a loss, and Mimi knew why. He could explain Starfire's appearance as makeup at the dance; everyone would be in costume. But the rest of the time, she would be unmistakable. Mimi came to his rescue: "I think they'll want some time alone, guys. It's not like they see each other every day. You'll have to satisfy your curiosity at the dance. Now if you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Tim in private."

Tim breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. That one caught me off guard. I'm starting to wonder if bringing Kory really is a good idea. She was so excited, though. She never gets to go out with the real me."

"Then you should definitely bring her. I'd like to meet her, too. And I'll help cover for you if you need it."

"Need what?", a new voice inquired. They turned to see Dan approaching.

"Notes for history class. I spilled a drink on my notebook and I'm not sure what I can salvage." Tim improvised.

Dan bought the lie. "I've got pretty good notes. If you need anything, just ask."

"You're in a good mood." Mimi said.

"Well, you're one of the reasons for that. I can't wait for next Friday." Mimi felt her face flush. "And, I think I've finally got St. Tail." Dan continued.

Tim looked incredulous at that statement. "And how are you going to manage that?"

Dan looked ready to explain, but apparently thought better of it. "That's my secret for now."

Mimi was working on how to coax it out of the would-be detective when the bell for homeroom rang. She'd have to wait for another chance.

* * *

That night, St. Tail's assault of the penthouse home of Warren Winntrop went extremely smoothly. There had been no guards, and the safe had been easy to open. He hadn't even destroyed the videotape yet! She pulled herself up though a convenient skylight, and then heard the sound of a half-dozen guns being primed.

"Freeze! Put your hands up" yelled Detective Bullock. That explained why Dan wasn't around – his dad hadn't been assigned to the case. She turned to face the rotund policeman, and the five others working with him.

"Okay." She said with a smile. She raised her hands, and summoned her wand. She calmly chanted, "It's Showtime!" and a brilliant light erupted from the gem on the wand. St. Tail suppressed a giggle as a illusion of Frankenstein's monster (in tribute to the original owner of the brooch, of course) formed in front of her. It worked perfectly; the cops were momentarily distracted, allowing her to charge past them. She ran right past Harvey, and tossed him the brooch and tape even as he tried to get his team coordinated again. St. Tail paused at the edge of the roof to wave "Bye-bye" to Det. Bullock, and then jumped to the next building.

Just as she landed, she heard Dan's voice yell, "Hold it!" So that's where he was. But he just stood there. That was no fun!

"Well," she asked, "Aren't you going to catch me?"

"I don't have to. I have a way to figure out who you are."

Normally, St. Tail would just dismiss it as his usual boasting, but after this morning . . . Could he really have something? She wasn't going to let him know she was worried, though. "Yeah, right."

"Your accomplice left a little present last time."

Accomplice? He couldn't know about Sarah, but he mentioned "last time". Did he mean Robin? "What are you talking about? I work alone. You know that."

"Your boyfriend in the black cape left one of his batarangs. I'm pretty sure I can get something from it that will tell me who he is. And that'll lead right to you."

"Whatever. If you're not going to come after me, I'm leaving. I'm a busy girl, you know."

St. Tail produced a balloon from her hat and floated off, deeply troubled. Dan was probably wrong about being able to work his way back to her from the batarang, but what about Robin & Batman? If he could find some clues . . .

* * *

The next morning Mimi wasted no time finding Tim. He was talking to a few boys, at least until she dragged him off.

"Mimi? What the heck are you doing? I was setting up a gaming session."

"Sorry about that, but we've got a big problem."

To be continued . . .

* * *

Author's notes

Well my partner still hasn't put the Author's Notes poll on the website. I want some feedback so I can take over here, so just flood his mailbox at . . .

Raven falls over onto the couch as the sedative KFGatri just gave her takes effect. He takes her shoes off (got to keep the couch clean, after all) and covers her with a blanket. "Just rest up; you've earned it. Besides, it's my turn!"

Well, now that my assistant has had her medication, I can get some work done. Raven's right about one thing, though. We all know who the real genius on the team is. I have to give her credit, though. She does do a good job with Mimi's dialog, but that's not surprising, since she usually acts like a 14-year old. J

Anyway, the setup continues. "Our" St. Tail has a new origin purely because I felt the one from the manga wouldn't work in GM. This should pretty much take care of the setup for the series. I don't know about doing the poll that Raven's asking for, but comments are definitely welcome.

This episode includes my favorite line so far: Tim's comment about what the name "St. Tail" is referring to.

We deviated from the originals again in having Dan ask Mimi out a lot faster than Asuka figured out his feelings for Meimi. Basically, our version having some competition accelerated things. Junior never had a real rival for Meimi, so he never faced the prospect of losing his chance with her. Or maybe our version is just quicker on the uptake (not that that's saying much.) We'll find out in the next episode how the date goes. After all, they're still basically oil & water. But then their inspirations were, too.


	5. Plans and Preparations

Gotham Magic Episode 5 – Plans and Preparations

"_In which costumes are readied for a gala affair"_

Mimi and Sarah had gotten together for another strategy session, though this one was somewhat unusual. For one thing, Mimi had presented the problem, and normally Sarah chose the missions. The last time Mimi had picked a job on her own, it had been a disaster.

The really unusual element in tonight's meeting in the chapel at St. Paulia's was that three people were present. Mimi glanced over at the figure in the shadows as she explained the situation. Dressed in her standard white habit, Sarah listened calmly, though she was plainly concerned over what she was hearing.

After listening to Mimi's explanation, Sarah finally spoke. "So basically, Dan has one of Robin's batarangs, and claims he can get evidence from it to figure out who's under the mask. Do you think that's possible?" She turned to the boy in the shadows, and Mimi noticed that Sarah was trying to get a good view of him.

Robin replied, "It's not likely, but it is possible. I usually don't handle batarangs without gloves, but he might get lucky. But it's probably just a bluff to get Saint Tail to come to him."

"Yeah, it's definitely his idea of a trap, but I can handle anything he can come up with." Mimi interjected.

Sarah stopped staring at Robin and thought for a moment. "True, but you might want to tip the odds in your favor. I think you should strike at the Halloween dance. You could blend in with the rest of the costumes, and there might even be a few St. Tails."

Mimi couldn't believe Sarah had suggested that. "But I'm going to the dance with Dan! I just bought my costume! No way! There has to be a better time to do it! What if I strike on Halloween itself?"

"We know Dan's keeping the batarang at school. The dance is the only time you'll have a crowd of people in costumes to hide in."

Mimi turned to Robin. "A little help here?" Robin responded, "I'm sorry, but what Sarah's saying makes sense. The dance would be the best time."

Realizing she had lost the battle, Mimi relented. "Thanks a lot, Boy Wonder. All right. But it'll be at the end of the dance, so I get as much time on my date as possible."

* * *

Dan was late for school. He'd been up late working on his "special project" and then his homework, and had overslept as a result. He frantically gathered up the books he had left scattered the night before, and tried to cram them in his backpack. They wouldn't fit. What's going on?> He pulled the books back out, looked in, and got a face-full of confetti. A card fluttered down onto the floor.

Dan picked up the card & read, "Friday night at 11 I will come for the batarang you're keeping in St. Paulia's chemistry lab. – St. Tail." Dan smiled, satisfied. His plan was working. He hadn't found out anything useful from the weapon yet, but it made excellent bait. But why did she pick _that_ night?>

* * *

After school, Mimi decided to go shopping alone, so she took the bus to University City. She was still a bit peeved at Sarah for insisting she recover the batarang at the dance. And Tim wasn't any help discouraging her. He didn't even try to come up with an alternative!>

She stopped in front of a shop called "The Wizard's Lair". In the window were books on magic and a crystal ball. Curious, she stepped inside. This looks promising. Maybe there's something here I can use.>

The store had bookshelves on one side and displays of magic objects on the other. Mimi walked to the shelves and scanned the selection. She paused for a moment to look through a book called "Intermediate Love Spells", and an image of Tim grabbing her and kissing her formed in her head. She quickly moved down the aisle and banished the image with some difficulty.

Her eyes stopped on another book titled, "Modern Techniques for Demon Summoning and Control". She picked up the book, opened it to a page at random, and read a little. Horrified by what she read, Mimi dropped the book and backed away as if it were poisonous. She bumped into something behind her.

"Is something wrong, miss?" a English-accented voice inquired. Mimi turned to see a middle aged man wearing a tweed suit. He straightened his glasses, then looked at her with concern.

"Nothing. I was just a little shocked by that book." Mimi answered.

The man picked the book up. "I'm not surprised. This should be in the black magic section in back. You shouldn't have seen this. I apologize."

"That's okay, but why do you even have a section for that stuff Mr. . . ?"

The man smiled "Giles. And it's never a good idea to alienate part of your potential clientele. Rest assured I don't approve of that variety of magic. It always has dire consequences." Mr. Giles looked as if he were speaking from experience. "Excuse me while I put this in the proper location. And if you need anything, just ask."

Mimi decided to check out the other side of the store. The magical objects ranged from the traditional crystal balls to comical items, and even a few gross ones. Apparently potions using "eye of newt" weren't just fiction. She walked slowly as she browsed, and then bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry . . ." Mimi began to apologize, but was stunned into silence at what she saw. She had just bumped into the most gorgeous guy she'd even seen. He stood about 5' 11", had blond hair and piercing steel-grey eyes. She suddenly realized that she was staring, and remembered what she had been saying. "Sorry about that, I seem to have two left feet today."

"Oh, that's okay. No harm done. So you're interested in love spells?"

Mimi blushed. He'd seen her looking at that book! "Just curious, really."

"Well, that particular book isn't very good. I wouldn't bother with it. With your eyes you shouldn't need magic to attract boys anyway. I don't think I've seen you in here before."

Mimi felt her blush deepen. "First time here. I'm into magic, and thought I'd check it out."

"Well, this is a great shop. Mr. Giles has almost anything you could imagine. I'm always finding new stuff to try, and he gives me a great employee discount."

Mimi perked a little at hearing that. "Oh, you work here? This looks like an interesting place to work." I'll have to stop in again soon. And make sure I'm wearing something nicer than my school uniform.>

"It is. Definitely beats McDonalds." He smiled at Mimi, causing her heart to skip a beat.

Mr. Giles walked back in. "Ah, Mark, being friendly with the customers? Excellent. That's good for business." He stepped behind the register.

Mark asked, "So, did you have anything in mind?"

Your phone number would be nice.> "Well . . . do you have anything to help your focus when casting spells?"

He thought for a moment, then went to the bookshelves. He reappeared a moment later, and handed her a book titled, "Mind Exercises for Magic Users".

Mimi looked at the book, and winced when she saw the price. "I'm sorry, I can't afford this. I'm five bucks short."

Giles spoke up, "I think I can be flexible. I'll take the five off the price, to make up for your fright earlier."

She smiled brightly as Giles rang up the purchase. Giles asked, "Now you'll let your friends know about The Wizard's Lair, won't you?"

"Sure." She replied as she left. But not the girls, except maybe Sarah.>

* * *

Tim looked appraisingly at Koriand'r, deciding where to work next. His experience with disguise makeup was a definite help, but making Kori up to look human was no easy task. Fortunately, she was going to the dance as Starfire. He'd found a good skin tone to give the illusion that she was a human wearing gold makeup, and had just finished her face and neck. Now he just had to apply it to her arms, legs and waist.

"Are you sure it should not be full-body? What if my costume tears?" Kori asked.

"Your suit can stand up to a punch from Cinderblock, it'll hold up against high school kids. Besides, this'll take long enough already." Tim answered as he worked on her left arm. He was sure Kori had ideas in mind other than the effectiveness of her disguise.

"I do not mind. I am enjoying it, actually." Kori said, flashing her brilliant smile at Tim. He gave her a quick kiss, then returned to his task.

"Now, you remember the background Bruce and I came up with for you?"

"Yes, but I am not comfortable with this dishonesty. Is it not wrong to lie? I would prefer to be me."

"I know, I wish you could, too. But we both know that won't work. I want to go out with you as myself."

"But to do that, I must be something that is not myself." Kori closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "I am Kori Anders, the daughter of one of Mr. Wayne's employees in Manhattan, and I only recently arrived in the country. We met at a company party, and you have been coming out to see me since then."

Tim smiled. "Yup, that's the basics, anyway. I think we can work out details on the go. I doubt we could anticipate every question my friends might ask." Tim finished blending the makeup on her right arm, and began working on Star's waist. He paused for a moment to admire her firm abs, then got to work.

"What if I have a problem, and you're not there?"

"Pretend you didn't understand the question." Tim replied half-jokingly. He thought for a moment. It was a risk, but he could trust Kori. He whispered in her ear, "And if it's serious, go to Mimi Hanover. She'll help you out. She's my closest friend at school, and she knows I'm Robin, and that I'm bringing you to the dance. I'll point her out when we get there."

"She is your Biology partner, yes? The pretty one with long red hair?" Starfire had a look of suspicion on her face.

"Yup. I wouldn't go by that, though. She's going as Supergirl, so she might wear a blonde wig. Wait a minute, when did I say she was pretty?"

Kory crossed her arms "I have looked at the web site for your school. She is in a great number of the pictures."

"That would be Malcolm. He's a photographer for the school paper and web site. He really likes to take pictures of Mimi." Hmm. Is it my imagination, or does Kory look a bit miffed?> "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I do not understand why you would tell a girl who is only a friend that you are Robin."

"Shhh! I haven't told Bruce! No! It's not like that. I'd never tell just anyone. She caught me without my mask. You're still the only girl I've actually told my secret."

"I am sorry"

"That should about do it." Tim said, putting the finishing touches on Starfire's legs. "Now I have just enough time to get myself ready." And take a cold shower!>

* * *

Mimi looked at her reflection in her bedroom's full-length mirror. Not bad.> she thought. Supergirl was a good choice for me.> She pinned her hair up and put on the blonde wig to complete the look. Okay, the blonde hair doesn't work for me, but the costume itself looks great! I hope Dan likes it.> She remembered his suggestion for her costume: Saint Tail, with him going to the dance as himself after capturing her. Mimi had killed that idea very quickly. On the other hand, that's the only way he'll get to catch me. Maybe I should have risked it, just to humor him. Especially since St. Tail gets to play with him after the dance.> She checked her watch; it was time to go meet her date. She took one last look in the mirror and adjusted the wig slightly.

"It's show time."

To be continued . . .

* * *

Well, my partner wrote most of this, so naturally I previewed it, revised it, and now it's at least tolerable.  
Bet you thought from reading episode four you'd get to read about the dance. Ha! Joke's on you – that's episode six. Seriously this chapter would have been something like eleven or twelve pages and with the way my partner writes it's a miracle you made it this far. Although that could be due to my talent as a fantastically phenominal editor - only a genius could save it!  
He's sorry he couldn't be here to help with the authors' notes he has a little . . . headache.

Well now down the the nitty gritty. We wanted to enlighten you about the way we portray our newest character Starfire. We are trying to make Star a good mix from comic and show Teen Titans but mostly the show. This does not mean our Robin is secretly Dick Grayson get off it! The Teen Titans Robin is Tim not Dick; now stop acting like the latter! We like the symbolsim of Tim/Robin having an older brother type to watch over and advise him and Dick/Nightwing fits the role. Well too much of my genius might cause your brain to hemorrhage with it's complexity so I'll sign off for now and we're going to add a new segment for questions asked on the site starting today with the question ...from Starlightgenie:

"I didn't understand Tim's comment about the origin of St. Tail's name."

Tim was suggesting with that comment that she had a cute rear end i.e. tail. After all, he is a guy!We can let you in on a little future characterization (shhh! Don't tell!) : Tim is a little shy on the subject of intimacy, and this is a sore point in his relationship with Starfire. Like a lot of guys, he puts on a bit of false bravado when it comes to the subject.(Of course, if your girlfriend had superhuman strength and tended to forget it, you'd be nervous, too! ;-)


	6. Costumes

Gotham Magic Episode 6 - Costumes by KFGatri & Raven

"This dance is definitely turning out to be a success!" said Karen, who was dressed in a surprisingly accurate Saint Tail costume. "The dance committee sure went all-out!"

Dan remarked, "Yeah, all the inflatable superheroes are kinda cool. I can't believe they have a Batman, though. He's not a hero; he's just a vigilante."

"Yes, he is! He helps people every day! He saves lives! That makes him a hero!" Mimi replied.

Dan, realizing he might be in trouble said, "Okay, I guess he's a hero, since he saves people, but he shouldn't do it outside the law."

"Hey, you two are having fun for a change, quit fighting." Said Renee, who was wearing boy's uniform from St Paulia's. "Oh, and nice costume, Dan. You couldn't get it in your size?"

Dan replied "Can I help it all the Superman costumes are made for tall guys? I wanted to coordinate with Mimi, and she'd already bought her costume. Not that I really care about that; I just wanted to make her happy. And who are you supposed to be?"

Renee smirked "Well Karen and I wanted to coordinate, and she wanted to be Saint Tail. So naturally I came as you."

"That's not funny! Besides, I don't look like that!"

Mimi chimed in: "I don't know – it looks pretty accurate to me."

"But her uniform's all messed up! And what happened to your hair?"

Karen retorted, "Yeah, isn't that usually what you look like after you tangle with Saint Tail?"

"Hey, I don't have to take this. C'mon Mimi, we're getting punch." Then he grabbed Mimi's wrist and stormed off to the refreshment table as the girls laughed hysterically.

Giggling, Renee said, "Now that was fun!"

Wiping away a tear, Karen remarked, "You do enjoy antagonizing him, don't you?"

"I think at this point it's developing into a subtle art. And it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

Their banter was interrupted as another couple walked in. The boy was dressed in an astronaut costume with an American flag on the sleeve and the name "Aldrin" boldly printed on the front. A helmet concealed his features, so the girls weren't sure who he was. The girl, who they also didn't recognize, wore an elaborate Starfire costume, complete with full-body gold makeup.

"Now that's a good costume!" Karen commented.

"I don't know; I think she might be overdoing it a little. How long do you think it took to do that makeup job? But she definitely has the body to pull it off." said Renee.

Karen studied "Starfire" for a moment. "Ehh, I think she stuffs."

Just then an arrogant voice piped in form behind them "Oh no, she doesn't. Trust me, I'd know." Renee and Karen turned to see Malcolm Soulton, without a costume, but carrying his camera as always.

"Well if any guy would know, you would. Where's your costume?"queried Karen.

"I'm just here to get pictures for the paper. Playing dress-up really doesn't appeal to me."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Shouldn't you be looking for Mimi so she can be in every shot?"

Renee chipped in, "Well, not every picture, but he does have a minimum of three rolls reserved for her."

"Actually, I almost turned down this assignment, so she could have the pleasure of going with me instead of that loser detective, but I decided to record this event for posterity.Uhh, where is Mimi, anyway?"

"Oh my . . . . You won't believe who the astronaut is!"

Renee turned and Tim, with his helmet under his arm, walking toward them. By his side, with her arm tucked under his, was "Starfire". "That's his girlfriend?!?"

"Hi. I like your costumes." Tim admired Renee's for a moment. "So how ticked off was Dan?" The girls exploded into laughter again.

After they recovered, Tim continued. "This is my girlfriend, Kory Anders. Kory, this is Renee Williams and Karen McNeil. And the camera with the guy attached is Malcolm Soulton."

Kory's green eyes sparkled and she smiled warmly. "It is a pleasure to finally be meeting Tim's friends. He has told me so much about you."

"Funny, he's been very quiet about you. Karen and I had a bet going about whether you were real. Which reminds me – pay up!" Renee held out her hand, and Karen reluctantly handed her a ten dollar bill.

"I can't believe you two bet on whether Kory was real! Why would I lie about her? Did you think I was gay?"

Karen stifled a giggle. "No way! We could tell you're not just from the way you look at OWW!" Renee kicked Karen in the shin, and then ignored the dirty look Karen was giving her. She figured teasing Tim about Mimi in front of his girlfriend was a very bad idea.

Kory looked a bit confused, not to mention jealous. "Looking? At who?"

Tim took Kory by the arm. "Uhh, let's move on. There are plenty of people I'd like you to meet." He scowled at Karen for a moment, and then they left.

Karen hissed "All right, I shouldn't have said that, but did you have to kick that hard?"

"Would you have shut up if I'd gone easy on you? You almost got Tim in a lot of trouble!"

"You're right. I guess Tim was telling the truth about being "just friends" with Mimi. What boy in his right mind would cheat on her?" Karen asked, gesturing in Kory's direction.

"I don't see a problem with spreading oneself around. Boys such as myself shouldn't restrict ourselves to one girl. It would be a disservice to the female community. Why shouldn't Tim be the same way?He's not on my level, of course, but then, who is?"

Renee stifled another laugh as Karen mimed gagging.

* * *

It was a unique opportunity for Tim to show off Kory (outside of the Titans, at least) and he was enjoying every second of it. Of course he'd immediately sought out Karen & Renee, to put an end to their teasing. He was glad that at least one of them had the sense to keep their opinion of his friendship with Mimi to themselves. Karen, on the other hand, Tim would have liked to shoot. At least now they have to believe that Kory's real. And I thought Malcolm's eyes were going to pop out when he saw her! For once, Mimi wasn't the focus of Malcolm's photo mania, though Tim wasn't sure he liked the change.

Next he spotted Sarah, who was dressed as Princess Leia. The cinnamon bun hair was a dead giveaway. Tim pulled Kory over and quickly introduced the two. Then Tim said to Sarah "You might want to duck down. You're sure to attract Malcolm in that outfit, and I don't think it'll matter to him that you're a nun."

Sarah looked at herself. "I thought this was rather modest."

"I agree. It is a very nice costume." said Kori.

Sarah turned to Kory. "How are you enjoying the dance, Kory?"

"It is very good, and I am much enjoying meeting Ro . . Tim's friends."

Tim reacted instantly. "In that case, let's keep moving. There's a few more over there. See ya later, Sarah."

He continued on to the few members of the gaming club that had shown up. They were polite, but Tim noticed their eyes tended to migrate south. He decided to move on before Kory took offense.

Finally, he found Mimi, talking (arguing, actually) with Dan next to the refreshment table. She looked great in her Supergirl costume, but Dan's Superman suit looked a size too large. Tim decided not to say anything – it was obvious Dan had chosen the costume to please Mimi.

"Oh, hi Tim. Can you please tell this jerk that the point of going to a dance is to actually dance? I've been trying to get him on the floor for 20 minutes!"

"Sorry, you're on your own!" Tim replied.

"You have not asked me to dance, either." said Kory. Tim looked a little embarrassed and said, "I was getting to that, but I thought you might like to meet some of my friends. This is my lab partner, Mimi Hanover, and her date Dan Anderson." A frown creased Mimi's face for a moment, then quickly subsided.

"Well, we'll see you later, Tim. We need to get dancing." Mimi said, tugging on Dan's arm.

"But I haven't finished my drink!" Dan protested. "Yes you have!" she snapped, dragging him onto the dance floor.

"This is the girl whose help you want me to seek?" asked Kory. "She seemed angry, yes?"

"Oh, that's just Dan. He makes her nuts. I think they hate each other."

"But are they not dates to this dance?I do not think I understand your Earth dating customs."

Tim shrugged. "Actually I think it's just them, and I don't get it either."

* * *

Lab partner?!? After everything we've been through, that's how he introduces me? Not a friend, not a good friend, just his "lab partner"> She tried to concentrate on dancing, but she was just too frustrated. She turned to look at Dan and saw the back of him walking away.

"Where are you going?" Mimi asked.

"We danced one dance, and besides, this is a slow dance. I don't do slow dances. And I have to get ready to face Saint Tail. Besides, you wouldn't understand the preparation and hard work I put into capturing criminals like her."

"You're such a jerk! You know about as much about catching criminals as you do about girls! And besides, I hardly call digging through a box of Cracker Jack for a magnifying glass preparation!"

"What would you know?" Dan retorted.

"Don't let her see you in that ridiculous costume, or she'll die laughing before you can catch her!" Mimi shouted as Dan stormed off. She then noticed that all eyes in the immediate vicinity were on her. Mustering what dignity she could, she turned and marched off in the opposite direction.

I was looking forward to this all week, but all he can think about is Saint Tail! Well, if he wants her so bad, I won't disappoint him!> She ran through the school hallways until she was sure that she was alone.

* * *

Tim watched the fight along with half the student body, and couldn't help but feel sorry for Mimi. He could guess what the fight was about, and tonight's caper was to help him.

Kory looked concernedly in the direction Mimi had went, then looked at Tim expectantly. "Well?" she asked.

Tim was confused. "Well what?" "Go after her! Is she not your good friend? Should you not see if comfort is required?" Tim could tell from Kory's expression that he had no choice in the matter. "All right, but I'll be right back." He walked briskly after Mimi.

She was covering her tracks, but Tim had no trouble tracking Mimi. He found her in a dark, secluded part of school. He was about to turn the corner and talk to her, decided to take a moment to formulate his thoughts. As he watched Mimi around the corner, she clasped her hands in prayer, and Tim heard her recite "Lord forgive me, for I use no gimmick or trick." What's going on? Tim wondered.

Tim's jaw dropped as Mimi's figure was suddenly illuminated by a diffuse light. It seemed to come from Mimi herself, and obscured the details of her body. Her Supergirl costume evaporated, and a top hat appeared in Mimi's hand. She lifted it above her head and chanted "One . . . two . . . three!" There was a burst of intense light, followed by an shower of confetti and ribbons. Where Mimi had been a moment before, now stood Saint Tail. She stowed her hat . . . somewhere (Tim couldn't figure out where) and turned to head off toward the classroom Dan was keeping the batarang in.

Tim quickly picked the lock of the nearest classroom, and ducked inside as Saint Tail passed. I didn't just see . . No way was Mimi . . .Man, she has nice legs. And the rest wasn't bad – Quit it Drake! She's your friend. You shouldn't be thinking about her like that! Especially with Kory waiting back at the dance.> Once Tim was sure Saint Tail was gone, he emerged and walked back to the auditorium.

He was greeted by an amusing sight. Kory was holding Malcolm above her head by the collar, with her fist poised in a threatening manner. Tim ran across the room and grabbed her fist.

Tim looked at Malcolm accusingly "What did you do to tick her off, Malcolm? I'd recommend apologizing. She's a lot stronger than she looks."

Malcolm tried to respond, but what came out was more of a gasping wheeze.

Kory looked at Tim "He made a suggestion that is too disgusting for a lady like me to repeat!"

Malcolm was saved when the auditorium doors burst open. Saint Tail ran in, with Dan in hot pursuit. Kory dropped Malcolm, who quickly crawled away.

Dan shouted, "Get back here, Saint Tail."

She turned and ran backward "Nope. Don't think so." She pointed her wand at Dan. "It's showtime!"

A dozen large balloons appeared, attached to Dan's belt. He lifted off the ground. "Enjoy your flight, Superman" Saint Tail laughed.

The students joined her as Dan floated above their heads. Kory whispered to Tim "Should we not stop her?"

"No, that would blow your cover. Besides, she's one of the good guys. I'll explain things later."

Saint Tail stopped at the outside door, and turned. "Okay, everybody, I think he's had enough." She pointed at the balloons keeping Dan airborne, and they popped. Dan landed unceremoniously on the floor. Then she ran out into the cool October night.

* * *

Dan walked down Davis Lane. All things considered, this had to be one of the worst nights of his life. First his date with Mimi turned out to be a wash. Why did she have to be such a pain? He really did like her but she was so caustic and too impulsive. And then St. Tail had to upstage him again; publicly humiliating him in front of the whole school this time. She went too far. He was going to be a laughing stock of the whole school. He was jerked from his wallowing by a familiar voice

"Hi,"

"Oh it's you Mimi" She was leaning against a tree, looking rather apologetic. Dan didn't feel like listening, though.

"What 's up?" asked Mimi, a little hesitantly.

"Well I just got humiliated by St. Tail in front of the whole school. Not like you were there though. Where did you run off too? It might have been nice if at least my date didn't abandon me."

"Excuse me? As I remember it we were dancing and then you were walking out the door to catch your precious St. Tail. I guess a regular girl doesn't stand a chance while she's around."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well it's obvious you like her." Mimi retorted.

"What? No way! I'm trying to bring her to justice." Where did she get off insinuating that he liked that thief?

"Are you a total butthead or what? Can't you see she is trying to help people?"

"Trying to help people? How is being a vigilante helping any one? No, wait. She's a thief Robin is the vigilante. Although now I'm starting to question that he's taken up with St. Tail. Man she makes my blood boil."

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Is that the only thing that makes your blood boil or are you so obsessed with her you can't see or feel anything else?"

"WHAT are you talking about? Stay on topic."

"Forget it you 're so obtuse"

"I think your idea of exciting reading is a thesaurus" Dan remarked. "That seems like a rather . . . advanced word for you."

"You're such a jerk. Why is the only decent guy in our class taken?" she lamented.

"Hey! I happen to think I'm a great catch and I don't even know why I agreed to go out with you. Anyway tonight was a disaster and I really think that we should just stay friends I don't think dating is going to work out. You're just too temperamental for my taste."

The expression on Mimi's face changed instantly and Dan was confused. She looked confused then upset or something. What was wrong with her? Then she turned and ran confused. He just stood there and watched her retreat. "Hey where are you going? We're talking!" By the time it occurred to him to follow she turned the corner and was out of sight.

* * *

Feeling a knot of tension building in her chest and a lump in her throat, Mimi turned and ran away. Mimi ducked down a side street and up an alley. She changed into St. Tail and took to the rooftops. Tears were streaming down her face and she didn't know or care where she was headed.

* * *

After the dance Tim and Kory were walking in the courtyard hand in hand when Kory turned to Tim. "You said you would explain."

"Huh? Oh yes , I guess we're alone. St. Tail is a thief but she's a sort of a Robin Hood type."

"Robin Hood? Why are we talking about him. I thought we were talking about St Tail. Do not try to change the subject."

"No, no I mean is well Robin Hood stole to give to the poor and Saint Tail is sort of like that. She steals to return things to their rightful owners. Anyway, tonight she was helping me out. Dan got a hold of one of my batarangs, and was claiming he could figure out who I was from it. Not likely, but I couldn't take the chance. So St. Tail retrieved it for me."

"And does she also know you are Tim?" Kory asked suspiciously.

"Only one person in Gotham outside Batman's team knows who I am, as far as I know." Tim felt a little guilty about the evasive answer, but it was technically true.

"And you are certain you can trust her?"

"Yes. She's my friend, and I've no reason to doubt her."

"A large number of your friends here are pretty girls. I am not liking this." Kory pouted.

"You don't have to worry. I know how good I have it with you."

"I am thinking you don't know all I can offer. I could show you.." Kory pulled Tim close and kissed him passionately. He finally broke off the kiss when Kory's hands moved downward.

"Whoa! Not in public! Someone could be watching! If a teacher saw us, I'd get in serious trouble!"

"When we get back to your house, then?"

"One, Bruce and especially Alfred would never allow it. Two, I'm just not ready yet."

"I do not understand why, but I will wait. Oh, how was Mimi? Did you find her?"

The memory of Mimi transforming shot into Tim's mind. "Umm. Nope. Didn't find her. I'll call her later."

"I hope she is all right. By the way, why did you introduce Mimi as your lab partner? Is she not your good friend?"

Tim responded, "Yeah, she is. But she and Dan don't get along, and you saw that they were fighting when we walked up. I figured reminding Dan that Mimi and I are close would just add fuel to the fire."

"Their dating is a mystery to me. I would rather do out with someone I like."

Tim smiled and put his arms around Kory. "Me too. Now, shall I show you a little of Gotham Heights? Since the dance ended early thanks to Saint Tail, the night is still young."

* * *

Author's Notes

We're posting this ahead of schedule as a Christmas gift to the readers. Unfortunately, this means the Notes will be a little shorter than usual to get it out. That means no Raven abuse. I'll get her next time!

This episode introduces our version of Sawatari, Malcolm Soulton. (Hey, you try coming up with an American version!) We think our version is pretty close to the original, although even more girl-crazy. I can definitely see Sawatari dangling from Starfire's fist – she's nowhere near as tolerant as Meimi. Of course, if he'd gone after the comic Starfire, he'd probably be dead.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Merry Christmas from KFGatri & Raven.


	7. Agreements

Gotham Magic Episode 7 - Agreements

_In which one agreement is made, one is broken, and a pooch gets pinched._

Alfred Pennyworth walked down the hallway to the living room of Wayne manor, carrying a tray of snacks for Tim and his guests. He walked in and set the tray down on edge of the table where Tim was studying with his friends Mimi Hanover and Sarah Monroe. Tim was lying on the sofa, chewing on a pen and skimming his text. Mimi sat on the floor, frantically flipping through her notes. Sarah sat in the reclining chair calmly; obviously she had posed a difficult question. Seeing the butler enter, Mimi tossed her notebook on the table and said, "Time for a break!" She jumped up and took one of the freshly baked cookies and a glass of milk. Tim and Sarah followed, and Alfred gave Tim a quick look of disapproval. The lad knew better than to put his shoes on the furniture

"I'm glad you like the cookies. My mother taught me the recipe when I was a boy" Alfred said to Mimi. Confused, she looked at the tray. Her face displayed a mixture of embarrassment and guilt as she realized she'd eaten more than half the tray herself.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"Quite all right, there's more in the kitchen." Alfred left to get more. He wondered how Mimi could eat like that and be that slim.

* * *

Mimi watched as Tim and Sarah each took a couple of the few remaining cookies. She mumbled an apology, and ate the last of her handful in quiet embarrassment. At least her friends looked amused rather than annoyed. 

"Mimi, it's okay." Tim said, "Alfred made more, and I know he likes to see guests enjoying themselves. And so do I. By the way, did you see the pictures of the dance on the school bulletin board? Most of them had either Mimi or Kory right dead center."

Sarah took a sip of milk and replied, "Well, Malcolm _was_ the photographer, and we all know he likes Mimi. And on the subject of liking you, have you patched things up with Dan yet?"

"Not yet. He's friendly enough; he just says he doesn't want to go out again. He doesn't even act mad. Which is a miracle, considering how I blew up at him. So how did Kory like Gotham?" Mimi asked, hoping to change the subject.

Tim smiled. "Oh, Kory had a great time, especially getting to meet all my friends. A long-distance relationship like ours isn't easy. Most of my time is spent in Gotham, and Kory wanted to be a part of it, if only for a few hours. She was disappointed when the dance ended early, though."

"So when will she be able to visit again?" Sarah inquired. Tim was spared having to come up with a reply when Bruce Wayne walked in. Mimi suddenly felt very worried. Tim had said he was working today. She wondered how good a look Batman had gotten of St. Tail when she'd run into him.

As Tim introduced them to his guardian, Bruce seemed to be watching her closely. Maybe he's the overprotective type. Maybe every girl Tim brings home goes under the microscope.>

Then Bruce said something that almost gave Mimi a heart attack: "You look familiar. Have we met?"

She thought for a moment, and then stammered, "Well, uh, my dad is um a magician and I sometimes uhhh fill in as his assistant. When my mom can't. Maybe you saw me there?"

"That must be it." Bruce agreed. He didn't look completely convinced, though.

Tim tried to change the subject. "I thought you had work today."

"I wrapped it up early." Bruce answered. "Why, did I spoil your plans with these two lovely ladies?"

Tim immediately blushed. Seeing this, Mimi couldn't resist teasing him.

"Yeah Tim, Are you sure you just invited us over for a study group or did you have something else in mind for an innocent girl and her nun in training friend?"

"MIMI! That's not funny! Besides Kory would fillet me if I was chasing down other cute girls."

At the inadvertent compliment Mimi blushed. "Hear that Sarah? Tim thinks we're cute!"

Smiling a bit, Tim added, "Cute, definitely. But innocent? I don't know about that."

Tim and Sarah immediately laughed. Mimi gave Tim a light punch on the arm, then her facade of annoyance gave way to laughter.

* * *

The next afternoon Mimi decided to return to The Wizard's Lair. That clerk Mark had been very nice (not to mention cute!) and the store had a great selection. She'd spent the afternoon at school figuring out what to wear (not too dressy, but nice enough to catch his eye, she hoped) and wasted no time changing at home. She stepped off the bus in University City and walked to the store. 

She stepped inside and looked around. She spotted Mark standing on a ladder and stocking a bookshelf. She paused to think of something to say. She didn't have time to come up with anything, however. Mark immediately turned around on the ladder and said, "Can I help you?"

Mimi started to panic. Then Mark continued. "Weren't you in here the other day? You bought "Mind Exercises for Magic Users" right? How do you like it"

She leaned against the bookshelf, trying to look casual. "Yeah, that's me. I've only just started reading it, but it's good so far. I'm already trying some of the techniques. You remember what everyone buys?"

"No, but some customers stand out. Especially the pretty ones." Mimi was suddenly grateful for the bookshelves – her legs were starting to feel like rubber.

Mark continued, "So, what can I do for you today?" She managed to reply, "I was just in the area and thought I'd see what else you had to offer."

"Well, to really help you decide, I need to know where your interests lie. While we're not too busy at the moment, it might be more comfortable to discuss them over a cup of coffee. I'm done for the day at 7, and I know this great place down the street."

Regret hit Mimi like a freight train. "I'd love to, but I'm busy tonight. Can we do it tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'm off tomorrow, so any time in the afternoon will work for me. Stick with 7?"

"O-okay." Mimi stammered. "I'll see you then."

* * *

In a show of mist and confetti, Mimi disappeared, replaced by Saint Tail. She turned to Sarah, said a quick prayer with the nun-in-training, and turned to leave. "Be careful, Mimi. This time you're dealing with real criminals; it could get dangerous." Sarah said. 

Saint Tail replied, "I'll be fine. With God on my side, I can't lose." Once she was out of sight, though, a frown crossed her face. First Robin, now Sarah. Did everyone think she couldn't take care of herself? She'd done fine so far, what was their problem?

That's enough of that train of thought. If I let them get to me, I really will mess up. Let's see . . . The target is a show dog who's been stolen; a border collie. He's being held for ransom, and Mr. Maverick was told not to tell the police, or they would kill the dog. That's where I come in. Taking the dog home by balloon isn't practical, so my best bet is just to lead the police there. My warning to Dan should cover that.>

St. Tail noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. As she watched for more movement, she noted brief flashes of red and green. Obviously, Robin had found out about the calling card. She stopped and turned. "Come on out, Robin, I know you're there!"

He emerged from the shadows to her left. St. Tail glared at him. "Just what are you doing?"

"Monitoring you, according to my standing orders. Batman doesn't know about us, after all. And I thought you might need some backup."

Saint Tail felt a headache coming on. "What, we're partners, now? Or am I supposed to be your sidekick? I work alone. I don't need help, and I don't need a partner."

"Everyone needs help sometime."

"I can take care of myself! Go away and let me work!" Saint Tail leaped to the next building. As she looked back, she saw Robin putting his fist through an air duct.

* * *

Saint Tail arrived at the place the dog was being held. It was a run-down two-story house. She peered in the living room's bay window, and saw the conditions inside weren't much better. The furniture was old rickety , and the wallpaper was peeling. The dog lay in a cage in a corner of the living room, apparently unhurt. Several men were inside, and a few of them had guns. There's not much room to move in there. St. Tail noted. She looked around for the police. I know Dan got my note. He's late!> 

Then she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. "What are you lookin' at kid?" She was forcibly turned around to face a large, nasty looking man holding a gun. He forced St. Tail to enter the house at gunpoint. At least I don't have to figure out a way in.>

The thug frisked her, being a little too thorough in St. Tail's opinion. Then he shoved her into the center of the living room, saying, "Look what I found outside. Can we keep her?"

Another goon responded, "Nah, too small." Great> St Tail thought, Just what I need. Crooks who think they're comedians.>

"Well, gentlemen, unless this little lady is headed to a Halloween party, I'd say we just caught Saint Tail."

"Who?"

"Don't you read the papers? Oh yeah, you can't read. I forgot. She's a magician Robin Hood who has been making life hard for guys like us. The question is, what should we do with her?" St. Tail realized that this was probably the leader. He was dressed in a fairly nice business suit and had dark blond hair. By now, she was surrounded by eight crooks, with no obvious escape route.

She had them right where she wanted them. She produced her wand.

The leader shouted at the goon who brought her in. "Didn't you check her for weapons?"

St. Tail answered for him "Yeah, he did, the pervert." She held up the wand, and the rug began to move. It flipped over, covering the crooks as St. Tail jumped to safety. She ran to the cage and had started to open it, when another thug entered the room. She leapt to her feet and pointed her wand. Before she could use her powers, though, he grabbed her arm and lifted her roughly off the ground. The pain forced her to drop her wand. He pulled out a knife and held it underneath her chin. Saint Tail got out a bottle of knockout perfume and prepared to spray her captor. Then the bay window seemed to explode.

* * *

After the argument with St. Tail, Robin continued to shadow her, but more cautiously. He watched as she scoped out the hideout, and as she was captured. He continued to watch through his binoculars. Fortunately, the bay window gave him a clear view of the action. 

He saw St. Tail use the rug as a net. Clever. Maybe I won't have to get involved.> Then the "extra" thug got the drop on her. Robin barely noticed the distance to the house. He smashed through the window without a second's thought, and threw a batarang at the thug's face. It hit its mark, breaking the guy's nose and forcing him to release St. Tail.

By now some of the crooks under the rug were starting to get loose. Robin spared a quick glance at St. Tail (who looked _very_ pissed off) and extended his staff. "Get the dog out of here; I'll keep them busy." He said, swinging his staff to keep the crooks at bay.

"Yes SIR!" St. Tail replied, in as sarcastic a tone as he'd ever heard her use. However, Robin didn't have time to dwell on it. He downed one thug with a kick, and a second with a thrown stun-disc. He heard the cage door rattle behind him.

Then, someone appeared in the doorway. Robin glanced over, and saw Dan Anderson, who had apparently come alone! The thug nearest to the door was going after him, and Dan stood there transfixed. Robin reacted instantly, throwing another stun disc. The thug collapsed as it hit.

"Get out of here, _now_!" Robin yelled, and watched as Dan did as he was told. He turned back to his opponents just in time to see the handle of a gun about to connect with his head. He fell, dropping his staff. When his vision cleared, he saw the culprit standing over him. The gun was pointed at his forehead, about an inch away.

Robin watched in amazement, as instead of a bullet, a balloon emerged from the barrel, emblazed with the work "BANG!" The thug stared as the balloon inflated. Robin drove his heel into the guy's jaw, knocking him senseless. He looked over to see St. Tail posed as if casting a spell, with a look of great concern on her face.

The remaining four crooks seemed uncertain how to handle the two teens. They divided into pairs, and each pair began to stalk a target. St. Tail pulled out her hat and yelled, "It's show time!" Impossibly, a snowstorm began to stream from the hat, as if it were hooked up to a snow blower. She called to Robin, "Let's go!" and darted out the front door with the border collie. Robin followed, darting past the crooks who were slipping on the rapidly icing-up hardwood floor.

He emerged from the house to see three police cars in front of the house, and Dan standing with the cops. Apparently Dan had just gotten there before the police. Robin ducked into the shadows and hid. St. Tail had already vanished, but the dog was still there, looking a little confused. The dognappers finally stumbled out of the house. Their jaws dropped as they saw the force opposing them. They dropped their guns and surrendered.

Robin climbed to the roof of the nearest building, intent on resting for a few minutes. Saint Tail was waiting, looking very smug.

"Still think I can't take care of myself? Maybe you should be my sidekick!" said the thief.

"I admit, you did very well back there, and I owe you one. But you did need help. If I hadn't rescued you from that guy -"

"- I would have hit him with this knockout perfume!" St. Tail concluded, holding out the bottle for Robin to see. "I had the situation under control. But you had to butt in, and I had to save you as well as the dog!"

"So you're sure you would have had time to get the dog out, even after he slowed you down?"

"Yes!"

Robin pressed on. "Even though his cohorts were untangling themselves while you dealt with him?"

St. Tail looked a little less certain "Yeah."

"And you could have helped Dan, dealt with all eight thugs and still gotten out with the dog?"

She didn't have an answer, so Robin continued. "You're darn good, but you have to know your limits."

"Back to that again! Of course, since you're Batman's partner, you know everything and can do everything!"

"No I can't!" Robin shouted. "There's a heck of a lot I can't do. The point is, I know my limitations. Batman wouldn't let me work with him if I didn't."

"So work with him and leave me alone! I don't need help!"

"Everyone needs help sometimes. I certainly do – that's why I'm in the Titans. Even Batman needs help. That's why Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl exist, and why he works with the Justice League. But I guess you're better than all of us, huh?"

"Well, no." St. Tail admitted sheepishly. "I just don't want to be treated like an amateur."

"I don't. At least I don't mean to." said Robin. "Ever since I found out that you're St. Tail, I've been amazed by your ability. I'd break my neck if I tried some of your stunts. And I still can't figure out some of your magic tricks."

St. Tail smiled mischievously. "Well they're not all tricks, you know. Some of it is real magic."

"Oh, like that snowstorm just now?"

"Why should I tell you? A good magician never reveals her secrets." St. Tail said, playing with the curl at the end of her ponytail.

"Are you sure? We could learn a lot from each other." asked Robin.

St. Tail lifted her arms over her head and stretched. Robin couldn't help but notice how the movement accentuated her subtle curves, especially in that outfit. Suddenly the memory of seeing Mimi transform at the Halloween dance entered his head. He quickly returned his gaze to eye level and shoved the image from his mind. He hoped the girl hadn't noticed where he'd been looking. If she saw me checking out her chest, I'll never hear the end of it.>

Fortunately, she either didn't notice, or chose to ignore his wandering gaze. She locked eyes with Robin and said, "You're right, I guess. I probably could benefit from your experience. I'll work with you, as long as it's as equals. I won't just follow your orders blindly, and I expect you to listen to me. And I expect you to let me work alone unless I ask for your help."

Robin replied, "Just as long as you do ask when you need to. You don't have anything to prove, T."

"T?" Saint Tail asked.

"Yeah. You have to admit, Saint Tail' is kind of a long name."

She frowned. "T' as in Tail, I get it. I'm not sure I like it, though. It ignores my higher calling"

"Hey, if you can come up with a better nickname, go ahead. I think it fits. Your costume is cute, but the ponytail kicks it up all the way to adorable."

St. Tail smiled. "You'd better not let Starfire hear you talk like that." Robin felt the blood drain from his face. St. Tail must have noticed, as she started laughing.

Then she let him off the hook. "And you'll call if you need my help?"

"Of course." Robin immediately responded. She looked doubtful, but retained her smile as they parted.

* * *

Dan sat on the sofa in his living room, absent-mindedly flipping channels. His mind was on the night's events. He'd helped rescue that stolen dog, but Saint Tail and Robin had gotten away again. It had been hard enough just trying to catch her; how was he supposed to handle both of them? And of course, nobody wanted to believe that Robin was her accomplice. Maybe I should have turned in that batarang as proof.> 

Dan stood up to investigate a tapping at the window. He pulled the curtain aside to see a brightly-colored balloon, with a card attached. He opened the window, grabbed the balloon, and read.

"Meet me at the statue of Solomon Wayne in the park in 20 minutes. Come alone. – St. Tail."

Dan tossed his jacket on and sprinted to the park. The moon had been covered by clouds, and they looked ready to open up. As he approached, he saw St. Tail in silhouette standing atop the statue. She was less animated than usual, as if she had something serious on her mind.

"Well, I came alone like you asked. What is this about?" he asked.

It was a few seconds before the answer came. "I won't be sending you any more warning notes. It's too dangerous."

"What? But we had a deal! You promised me . . ."

"I know. But now I'm ending the deal. What were you thinking, barging in by yourself tonight? You could have gotten yourself killed. Robin was nearly killed saving you! And this wasn't the first time."

"I can take care of myself."

St Tail smiled, but there was little humor in it. "That sounds familiar. But I just had that argument, and I don't feel like a sequel."

"I don't care about the risk! I'm going to be the one who catches you!"

Dan barely heard the masked girl mutter under her breath "Too late!" Then she continued more loudly. "So you'll just chase after me, no matter the situation. _That's_ why I can't do this anymore. Gotham City is too dangerous. I couldn't bear to have your death on my conscience."

Then St. Tail disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Dan alone as the first raindrops fell.

* * *

Well it appears as if my partner has finally accepted his vanquished status and has given up. HA AH HA I am victorious. Those last pathetic authors notes are proof of his defeat. So now we all know who the true genius is. That's what she thinks! – KFG

Well now you can see how our story is diverging from the classic St. Tail and becoming our own. And believe me if you thought this was just going to be one of those namby pamby rewrites that other people do well y think again. We definately plan to make this a completely original work almost well as original as fan fic gets. Just to let you in on a little secret - we plan right a novel and this is just practice, and I expect each and every one of you to buy two copies. Of course if you mail one to us with a return postage and fifty bucks we'll be sure you get a nice original autographed copy. You know and it should be preserved and kept in plastic and never read but if you just have to read it make sure you get some tweezers to turn the pages and don't breath on them or you might moisture damage it. Well enough of that.

Now that said we will be doing a little borrowing from some episodes that were just too good to pass up and we have some nice original characters to throw at you. Plus few old favs to that you might fondly remember so sit back and enjoy. And try not to take these author notes too seriously unless you are mentally impaired like KFGatri. Then it's ok of course we make allowances for folks like him HEHE

Yours truly

And not so sincerely

Raven

Watch it, or I'll stop editing your notes for grammar and punctuation! If you guys think this is hard to read, you should see what I have to clean up! – KFG

KFG I think we should change it to bfg no bfh big fat head what do you think guys?


	8. Mischief Night

Gotham Magic Episode 8 – Mischief Night

Commissioner James Gordon stood outside "The Wizard's Lair", scanning the sky. Next to him stood a small spotlight with a bat-shaped mask covering the lens. The new mobile Bat-signal had been something he'd wanted for years, and he'd finally gotten approval for it. Of course, now if he doesn't show up, I'll look like an idiot. But Batman's never let me down.> Then Gordon heard the sound of a windblown cape and of someone landing.

"Sorry to interrupt your Halloween, but this seemed right up your . . ." Jim stopped as he saw that Robin alone had responded to the signal.

"No problem. This'll be more interesting than giving out candy. Batman's out with the League." Seeing Commissioner Gordon's uncertainty, Robin assumed a more serious posture. "What's the situation, sir?"

Jim hesitated. Robin was capable, but still just a kid. But then, so was his predecessor. "There was a robbery at this magic shop an hour ago."

"Not just late Mischief Night pranksters, I take it?"

Jim led Robin into the store. It was a shambles. Bookshelves had been overturned, and in one case, flipped entirely over. The floor was covered with broken glass from crystal balls and alchemy sets. The walls were marked in spots with burn marks. "We're not sure what scorched the walls. It's too tightly focused for a flamethrower."

"It looks like an energy blast to me. Maybe something like Starfire's starbolts. I can see why you called. Was anyone here when it happened?"

"The owner, Rupert Giles, was present. He's a little shaken up, but not hurt. He had a bizarre report, though"

"Can I talk to him?" Robin asked.

"This way." Jim led Robin back out of the store and to a nearby ambulance. Mr. Giles was standing next to it, drinking a cup of tea. He seemed very distressed, even considering the robbery.

Commisioner Gordon called Giles over. "I know this may seem unusual, but I'd like you to give a statement to this young man."

"Not at all. I've read about your local heroes, and I know age is no prerequisite for skill or courage. And you'll need both, young man, to recover the Sword of Mordred."

"Mordred, as in the legend of King Arthur?" Robin asked.

"Precisely. It is supposed to bring the owner great power, with the right rituals. I can only assume that's why the thief took the Sword. Tonight, the Celtic New Year, is the traditional time for the ritual."

"Where would this ritual be performed?"

Giles thought for a moment. "Somewhere large and open, and where the caster is unlikely to be disturbed."

A policeman ran up to the trio. "Excuse me Commissioner, but we've got another problem. There's been a break-in at Scott Theater"

"Now that's probably pranksters – it's closed for renovations."

"And there's some kind of barrier – noone can get past the lobby!"

Robin frowned. "Looks like we've found our man. Mr. Giles, can you tell me anything else about the culprit?"

"I'm afraid not. He was masked."

Robin pressed for more information. "What about this ritual?"

"There are many stories about the sword, but they all contradict each other. I could spend hours recounting them, and you still wouldn't know what to expect."

"Looks like I'll have to improvise." And get a little help.>

* * *

Mimi Hanover closed her front door as another group of trick-or-treaters departed. It had only been a half-hour, and the candy was almost gone. "Dad, we're running low!" 

"That's all the candy we have. Maybe we should give out paper swans?" A swan glided from Jerry's hand to his daughter's head.

"Nice one, Dad, but maybe we should just call it a night." There was a knock on the door. "I'll give them the last of the candy, and then turn out the light."

"All right, honey." Jerry walked into the living room and joined his wife on the couch.

Mimi opened the door, but it wasn't children. Tim Drake stood there, dressed in a loose sweatshirt and baggy jeans. "Oh, hi Tim! I like your costume."

Tim looked alarmed for a second, and quickly looked himself over. "Oh, right. Are you busy? Romano's Ice Cream is having a special for Halloween. Holiday-themed cones, and you get a discount if you wear a _costume_." Tim pulled his sweatshirt down just enough for Mimi to see the collar of his cape. Her eyes went wide for a moment, then she smiled. She had thought their agreement would amount to Robin insisting on helping her, regardless of what he said. But here he was, asking for her help!

Unfortunately, her dad would probably ask a lot of questions if she tried to go with Tim. Mimi had a better idea. "Umm, actually, I'm not feeling too good. I was thinking of going to bed early." She winked at Tim, hoping he'd get the message.

"Oh, well maybe next time. I hope you feel better. See you later."

Mimi closed the door, and almost bumped into her mom.

"You're not feeling good? What's wrong, Mimi?"

"I'm just tired mostly. Nothing a good night's sleep shouldn't cure."

"Well, go right up to bed. I'll be up in a few minutes with some warm milk."

Mimi suddenly wished she'd gone with Tim after all.

* * *

Half an hour later, Mimi met Robin in the woods. He was leaning on a red and black motorcycle bearing his insignia. 

"Nice of you to show up." Robin said, with a smile.

"Some of us have parents, you know" Mimi snapped. She immediately regretted her outburst as Robin tensed up. Mimi, you idiot! You know Tim's an orphan. What were you thinking? "Robin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Never mind, just drop it, okay? Get changed so we can get going." He replied curtly.

"I know I was totally over the line . . ."

"I said drop it!" Robin snapped. Then, taking a deep breath, he continued more calmly, "I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's just, that wound doesn't heal easily. Besides, we really do need to get moving. Why didn't you meet me in costume, anyway?"

"And have someone spot Saint Tail sneaking out my window? Now, turn around. I need some privacy for this." Mimi said, spinning Robin around by the shoulder.

Mimi clasped her hands in front of her, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. "Lord forgive me, for I use no gimmick or trick." She felt the hair on her arms stand up as the familiar glow manifested, and her clothing dissolved. She lifted her hat above her head and chanted "One . . . two . . . three!" There was a burst of intense light, followed by an shower of confetti and ribbons. Where Mimi had been a moment before, now stood Saint Tail.

"Okay, you can look now."

Robin turned, studied her for a moment, and smiled. He jumped on his motorcycle and said, "Climb on, and hold tight. I'll fill you in on the way."

Saint Tail straddled the bike behind Robin. Robin looked back and said "Just put your arms around me."

Saint Tail wrapped her arms around Robin's lower waist, and clasped her hands together. Then she noticed her hands were directly over Robin's lap. Saint Tail's hands shot up around his chest, and came to rest on the contours of his well-defined muscles. A surprised look crossed her flushed face, and she quickly shifted her arms' position to the middle of his waist. Friendship. Concentrate on friendship. . . . Whew! Good thing Karen and Renee never noticed that! I wonder how he hides that at school . . .>

* * *

They stopped a block from the theater, and St. Tail jumped off and hid in the shadow of the closest building. Since she was a wanted thief, she could hardly just walk up to a police blockade. As Robin drove up to the police line, St. Tail climbed to the roof, and made her way to the Scott Theater. She waited and watched as Robin talked briefly with Detective Anderson, and then walked up to the theater door. 

As Robin opened the door, St Tail pointed to a spot across the street. "One . . . two . . . THREE!" A brilliant fireworks display erupted in midair. While the police watched the multicolored shower of sparks, St. Tail dropped to the ground, and slipped into the theater behind Robin.

"Very nice." Commented Robin. "Thank you," said St. Tail, bowing to her audience of one.

They turned to the barrier. It was translucent, but distorted the area beyond. It looked rather like water, as if someone had stood a pool's surface on its side. Robin pressed on the surface. It gave very slightly, but he wasn't able to put his hand through. He tried a batarang; it got stuck in the barrier for a moment, then slid to the floor. A small explosive charge caused the surface to ripple for a moment, but the barrier showed no sign of weakening.

St. Tail watched Robin intently as he tested the barrier. He stepped back, wearing a look of intense concentration. She leaned on the barrier, and was shocked when she almost fell through! Robin looked at her, the surprise on his face quickly turning to a broad smile.

"I think it likes you. Let's see if you have any better luck." Robin said.

But when St. Tail threw a batarang, the barrier reacted the same way.

"No good. Whatever it is about me, it doesn't rub off." She said. Then a notion crossed her mind. St. Tail picked up the fallen batarang and held it toward herself. She pushed her hand through the barrier, so the batarang was pulled through. She felt more resistance than before, but the weapon made it through.

St. Tail looked at Robin thoughtfully. "Hold still. I want to try something." She hugged Robin as tightly as possible, and tried to pull him through the barrier. It took some effort, but he passed through. They fell on the carpet of the lobby, on the opposite side.

Robin's shock was evident through his mask. "You could have warned me, ya know!"

"Yeah, but it was more fun this way. And it did work. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah." St. Tail realized her hand was on his chest, and a finger was idly tracing the insignia. Robin's face was only a few inches from hers, and a strong impulse seized her. She started to lean forward to kiss him.

What am I doing? She jumped up. "Well, we'd better stop this guy right? Come on!" She ran to the inner doors and peered through. What were you doing? Tim's got a girlfriend, and it's not like you're even remotely in his league.>

She heard Robin stand up behind her. "Are you sure you're all right?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

St. Tail fought to compose herself. "Yup, ready for action" she answered in an excessively-cheerful voice. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Robin was a bit worried about his new partner – she'd been acting rather weird a moment ago. Maybe that barrier has a psychological effect on magic-users? I'd better keep an eye on her.> He walked up to the door. St. Tail already had it ajar and was peeking through the crack into the auditorium. She crouched as Robin approached, giving him room to look just above her. 

Through the doorway, he saw a man standing on the stage. The sword was on a music stand in front of him. Both were obscured by a storm of swirling golden energy. "It won't be easy to approach him. There's nowhere to hide, and I don't like the look of that energy effect. Any idea of what he's doing?" asked Robin.

"Not a clue." St. Tail replied. "I might be able to get the sword away from him. If it's the focus of the spell, that should stop it."

"But how will you get close enough?"

"I don't have to. Trust me."

Robin thought for a moment, then agreed. "All right. I'll back you up." They quietly stepped through the door, but their opponent was too distracted to notice them.

Saint Tail held out her wand and chanted, "It's showtime!" In a puff of smoke, a half-dozen balloons appeared, attached to the hilt of the sword. They slowly lifted the sword from the stand, and drifted toward the exit. As soon as the sword left the stand, the energy effect ceased. The magician turned.

Robin started running toward the stage as soon as the energy died down, and the magician immediately focused on him. Robin threw a batarang, hoping to end the battle quickly. Unfortunately, his opponent, who was tall and had platinum-blond hair, held up a disk. The batarang stopped a foot from its target. Another barrier>, thought Robin.

The magician threw another disk, which Robin noted had some sort of writing or decoration on it. It flew toward the sword, and popped the balloons.Robin glanced at the weapon as it clattered on the ground, and saw Saint Tail dive for it. He turned back to the magician, who had raised another talisman.

A rope-like tendril of energy shot from the disk toward Robin. He extended his staff, and pole-vaulted over it. He glanced back to see where it went, and was shocked to see it turn to pursue him! Robin continued to dodge, and managed to throw a few smoke grenades at his opponent. But even with the spellcaster's vision obscured, the tendril pursued him. It finally hit him, wrapped around, and solidified into a very sturdy rope. He could get loose, given time, but would this guy give him the chance?

Then from near the entrance Robin heard "It's showtime!" He turned his head and saw Saint Tail holding her wand over her head. The sword wasn't in sight. I guess she used the time I bought her to hide it. Then before Robin's amazed eyes, Saint Tail split into six copies! Each St. Tail ran in a different direction. The magician threw the same talisman as before. It hit the nearest St. Tail, causing her to explode with a loud pop!

Robin tried to reach his utility belt, worrying the whole time How long before he gets the real one? What will it do to her? Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and a familiar girl's voice whispering, "I'll have you free in a sec." (A second decoy bit the dust.) Saint Tail cut Robin loose, and offered him a hand up.

Saint Tail gestured, and the remaining decoys ran toward their opponent. "Get ready" she said to Robin. She snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, the true nature of the decoys was revealed – balloons! They inflated to enormous size, and Robin began closing the distance to the villian.

The decoys exploded, releasing an enormous cloud of ribbon and confetti, allowing Robin to sprint to within striking distance. He jumped onto the stage, and connected with a powerful kick to the jaw. The magician fell to the ground, dazed, but still conscious.

"Care to give up?" Robin began, but before he could continue to offer terms to his opponent, the magician dropped another disk on the ground. It expanded to the size of a manhole cover, and he dropped through the opening it created in the floor. Robin dived after him, but landed on the floor as the gap snapped shut.

Saint Tail unsuccessfully stifled a laugh. "I could have told you that wouldn't work! Never does for the Coyote."

"Well, come on! Our "Road-runner" might still be in the basement!" Robin ran to look for stairs, while St. Tail ran up to the stage. She scanned the floor for a moment, then reached down and lifted up a trap door. Robin stood in the aisle for a moment, confused.

"My dad did a couple shows here." She said in response to the unstated question on Robin's face.

"Oh. It's dark down there, so I'll take the point." he answered before dropping through the opening. It wasn't deep – in fact, Batman would have had to duck down to fit. Robin stepped to one side, and St. Tail dropped in beside him. He pulled out his flashlight, and noticed St. Tail had a light source of her own. She was holding a candle in her left hand. Actually, upon closer inspection, Robin realized that there was no candle! The flame simply floated over her cupped hand.

The area under the stage was empty except for a few boxes. Robin directed the flashlight's beam at them and quickly determined that their quarry wasn't hiding here. Saint Tail was walking along the edge of the room, and stopped when she located a hallway. "Hey Robin, check this out. I think this goes to the loading dock."

They followed the hallway, and confirmed her suspicion. The loading dock door was broken open and ajar. The magician had gotten away.

Robin frowned. "Shoot. Well, at least he didn't finish whatever he was doing, and we recovered the sword."

"Not a bad night's work."

"Thanks for your help. So where did you hide the sword?" Robin asked.

St. Tail led him back to the lobby, where the barrier had disappeared without the conjurer to maintain it. She removed the sword from behind one of the curtain rods, swung the sword playfully for a moment, then flipped it around and handed it to Robin. "You'll have to return it, obviously."

"And while I give it to the police, you can slip out. I'll meet you on the roof of Wayne Tower."

* * *

After a wait of about twenty minutes, St. Tail saw Robin swing onto the roof of the tower. He gave her a quick recap of what he told Detective Anderson. The official version of events wouldn't include Saint Tail. 

"Trying to hog the glory, huh?" she laughed. "Or are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"None of the above. But now I just have to figure out what to tell Batman."

"Start with the truth." said a very grim-faced Batman.

To be continued . . .

* * *

_KFGatri sets up his laptop, then turns to Raven, who is tied into a chair, with her hands tied behind her. "Thought I gave up, huh?"_

"_You might as well. You're repeating yourself. You already did this."_

_An evil grin crosses KFGatri's face. "I'm not done yet." He reaches into his bag and pulls out a box of Gertrude Hawke chocolate. "Your favorite, I believe." He opens the box and places it on the table in front of Raven. Then he walks back to his computer and starts to type . . ._

Okay, now that my partner is occupied, I can get down to business. On the St. Tail front, this episode is entering all new territory. While we do intend to keep her a thief, at least for a while, she's going to shift into a more superhero-type role. If Catwoman can be both a thief and an occasional hero, then there's no reason St. Tail can't. (_KFGatri is distracted from his typing for a moment by a thud sound._) We should probably have the two of them meet, actually . . .

Robin showed Asuka Jr.-level cluelessness in this chapter, didn't he? It should have been obvious from her behavior in the lobby that Mimi likes him. Of course, he might be deliberately misinterpreting her behavior to avoid getting in trouble with Kory. (_Thud!_) Of course, now that the secret's out, Kory is the least of his problems . . .

_KFGatri saves the file, reaches into his bag, and pulls out his camera. He turns around and sees that, despite being securely tied, Raven has managed to get the chair up against the table with the chocolate. Her face is currently buried in the box. KFGatri snaps a picture. She notices the flash and looks up, giving KFGatri a good look at her chocolate-covered face, which he of course photographs. He laughs "Now don't make a pig of yourself. Save some for later."_


	9. Discovery

Gotham Magic Episode 9 by KFGatri & Raven

St. Tail had just helped Robin recover the Sword of Mordred from a powerful sorcerer. She had agreed to wait on the roof of Wayne Tower while he passed the sword onto the police. After a wait of about twenty minutes, St. Tail saw Robin swing onto the roof of the tower. He gave her a quick recap of what he told Detective Anderson. The official version of events wouldn't include Saint Tail.

"Trying to hog the glory, huh?" she laughed. "Or are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"None of the above. But now I just have to figure out what to tell Batman."

"Start with the truth." said a very grim-faced Batman.

Saint Tail tried to disappear into the shadows. Batman turned to her and commanded, "Stay where you are, Mimi!"

She stood in shock for a moment, then turned to Robin, enraged. "You told him? I kept your identity a secret, even from Sarah, and you told Batman. And lied to me about it!"

"Be quiet!" yelled Batman. "I'm going to have a long talk with each of you."

* * *

An hour later, Saint Tail sat in the Batcave, awaiting her turn to experience Batman's wrath. She didn't see why he had to blindfold her on the way – she already knew who Batman was, after all. Robin was in the next compartment/room, experiencieng a severe reprimanding. Saint Tail could hear them talking, but couldn't make out the words. Finally, the door opened.

Robin walked out, looking so miserable that St. Tail momentarily forgot she was furious with him. "Well, he didn't fire me, but I'm grounded in both identities for the next week. At least he didn't give me CP duty."

Batman shouted, "Oh, and you're on cave pickup this week."

Robin's shoulders slumped "Aw MAN! Look, T, I didn't -"

Batman called, "St. Tail. In. Now." His tone of voice made it clear that she couldn't wait. Not that she wanted to talk to Robin at the moment.

The room had a single chair in the center. Batman gestured to it. "Have a seat." She obeyed.

"Robin explained the situation. I knew or suspected most of it, but I can't believe he didn't tell me about you recognizing him."

"Wait, he didn't tell you? Then how did you know who I am?"

Batman cracked a slight smile. "One: you're a magician. Someone had to teach you those skills, and there are only so many in Gotham. Two: you have to be someone near Daniel Anderson Jr. to deliver those warning notes. Three: you have a very distinctive shade of red hair, and Tim came home with the same red hair on his clothing in both guises. The only person who fits that profile is Mimi Hanover. Add to that evidence the fact that your mother was suspected of being the Fallen Angel, and the conclusion is obvious."

"Oh. Okay. I guess I owe Robin an apology."she said with a chagrined look.

"Yes. I'm not happy with the situation, but I admit Robin wasn't in the best position."

St. Tail smiled "Yeah, he couldn't tell because I knew who he was. You might want to do something about his mask, unless you think just hiding the color of his eyes is a good disguise."

"I'll take it under consideration."

"Oh, and I figured out who you are, too, Bruce." St. Tail said smugly.

"Touche. I won't tell your parents how you spend your nights. You might want to tell your mother, at least. She would probably understand, and she might be willing to help you."

St. Tail winced at that. "I'm not so sure. She always says she wants me to take after her, but . . ."

"That's your decision to make, but bringing your mother in the loop would actually make keeping your secret easier."

"Or she might tell me to stop."

Batman stopped pacing behind St. Tail. "That might be for the best. Robin has already put himself at risk protecting you."

"He's helped me, and I've helped him. What's your point?"

"Since meeting you Robin has displayed rather poor judgement. He's kept your recognizing him from me. He went to you for help in the batarang situation rather than bringing it to my attention. And tonight, instead of going to known, trusted allies, he sought your help again."

She leaped to her feet to confront Batman, ignoring the fact that she was over a foot shorter than him. "What do you mean "trusted allies?" Robin trusts me! Just because you don't know me. . ."

"That's the point. I don't know you."

"Look, I have to get to Mass tomorrow – I mean this morning, so I have to get a little sleep. You know where to find me." St.Tail stormed out.

Batman jumped ahead of her. "We're not done yet."

Saint Tail looked up at Batman, matching his scowl. "Yes we are. Maybe you don't know me, but Robin does. If the opinion of your partner, who you supposedly do trust, doesn't matter, then I don't know what I could say to make you trust me. I'll keep your secret, but don't expect me to stay away from Tim. If you don't like it, that's your problem."

Batman stepped to one side and gestured to the Batmobile, wearing the slightest hint of a smile. "Get in the car. I'll drive you home."

* * *

The next afternoon found Mimi running down Boring Lane to the University City Starlex' coffee house. After a few reschedulings (the latest being last night) she was finally getting together with Mark. So of course, the GCTA buses were running twice as late as normal, making her late. She paused outside the shop to catch her breath, gave herself a quick inspection in the window, and walked in.

Mark was already sitting in a booth along the wall. Mimi walked up, feeling a little sheepish at her lateness. "I'm sorry. I know I'm late . . ."

Mark cut her off. "Don't worry about it. I just got here myself. Besides, you're worth the wait. That top looks great on you."

Mimi felt herself blush at the compliment. "Thanks." Then she noticed a large bruise on Mark's face. "What happened?"

"I got into a fight. Well, they attacked me really. But don't worry, I'm fine. I was able to get away before things got too bad."

"Did you go to the police?"

"No. They were both masked, so I probably wouldn't be able to ID them."

Mimi studied him with a mixture of concern and frustration. Why did boys have to act tough? "You could have been hurt."

"That's the chance you take living in Gotham. Would you relax? I'm fine! Now, shall we go order?" said Mark, rising to walk to the counter.

"Sure." She opened her purse and began counting her cash.

Mark noticed her actions and said, "It's on me. I've got enough to cover both our orders."

"Thanks, but I'd rather pay for my own." Mark started to protest. "No arguments. I get enough of that from Tim."

"Who's that? Your boyfriend?"

Mimi winced at the slip. "No, no. He's just a friend." To change the subject, she looked at the menu. "Let's see, I'll go with a vanilla latte, and a glazed donut." She was pleased when Mark didn't try to beat her to the register.

As they returned to their booth, they were distracted by the approaching sound of a car driving wildly outside.They ran to the window, along with most of the shop's patrons. Approaching down the narrow street was a 50's style convertable, painted red on one side, black on the other. It matched the costume of the driver, Harley Quinn. As the car got closer, Mimi noticed a black shape clinging to the bumper – Batman. Nightwing was in pursuit on a motorcycle.

As the bizzare procession passed, everyone returned to their booths. Mark commented, "Never a dull moment in Gotham, huh?"

"Yeah, really. Harley must be up to something big to draw Batman out in the day, though."

"So . . . how did you get into magic?" asked Mark.

"My dad is a magician. I'm going to be one too. I already fill in as his assistant sometimes. It wasn't much of a stretch from stage magic to the real thing."

"Cool. I'll have to catch one of his shows. With me it was kind of rebelling against my parents."

"My dad would be freaked out just knowing I'm here. He thinks I'm too young to date. Especially since you're a senior."

They sat quietly after that, just enjoying their food. Mimi was hard-pressed not to stare at her date. After they finished, Mark took her plate and cup to the trash along with his.

They left the shop and strolled down the street. Then Mimi's attention was caught by a pet shop window. Inside one of the enclosures was a hedgehog. "Oh, look! It's adorable! Let's go in; I have to check it out." She said, dragging Mark into the store.

The owner was an elderly man who eagerly helped Mimi. Moments later she was holding the little animal, who just fit in Mimi's hands.

"Now be careful handling her." the owner said. "Hedgehogs have spines, and its very easy to get stuck by one. She seems to like you." The hedgehog was nuzzling Mimi's thumb and making contented sounds.

Bracing herself for the answer, Mimi asked, "How much is she?"

"She's on sale for $145 this week."

Mimi winced. The old man smiled and said, "I can let you pay in installments."

Her face lit up, and Mimi immediately dug the rest of her cash, $23, out of her purse. The owner counted the money, saying "That will do. I'll hold onto her for you. Thank you. Oh, and keep in mind that you'll need a permit, since she's an exotic pet."

"I'll look into it. Thank you." Mimi said as she stepped outside.

"Now will your parents let you keep her?" inquired Mark.

"I hadn't thought about that. Oh well, I'll think of something."

"You like hedgehogs, huh?"

"Actually, I've never even seen one before, but she was so cute I couldn't resist. There goes my allowance and stage assistant pay for the next few weeks, though." Mimi's shoulders slumped a little at the thought.

"You know, I could help you out a bit."

"That's kind of an expensive gift for a first date, Mark. I appreciate the thought, but I'll have to manage it on my own."

"Did someone say 'date'?" Mimi turned to see Karen, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

Sigh. So much for keeping this quiet. "Mark, this is my friend Karen McNeil. Karen, this is Mark Ralston."

Karen's gaze traveled up Mark's frame, and a wide smile appeared on her face. "Well, I won't keep you from your date. Just fill me in at school tomorrow, okay? Bye!" Karen ran off, leaving Mimi to wonder how much trouble this development would cause.

* * *

Bruce Wayne walked through the manor, deep in thought. The more he considered the Saint Tail situation, the less he liked it. Her intentions were good, but she relied too much on luck, which in this line of work invariably led to disaster. If Robin insisted on being involved with her, he'd likely be caught in it. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice Alfred until he knocked the stack of clean sheets from the butler's arms.

"Oh, sorry, Alfred. I was distracted."

"Obviously, sir. May I ask what is commanding so much of your interest?"

"Saint Tail. I think I'll have to tell her parents what she's doing."

Alfred looked disappointed. "What a shame, sir. Timothy and I had been bandying about ideas to upgrade her costume."

"She takes too many risks, and is too dependent on luck. And when she goes down, she's likely to take Robin with her."

"I think you're exaggerating, sir. From Tim's accounts, she seems quite capable. I'm sure with a little guidance, she would benefit the city greatly."

"And what makes you think I want another protege?"

Alfred picked up the last of the sheets and set them on a nearby table. "With Barbara away at school, I thought you'd welcome the additional help."

"Robin also described her as very stubborn. How much help would she be if she won't follow orders?"

"How do you know she won't? She cooperated readily with Tim last night."

Bruce sighed. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

"Not likely, sir."

"All right, I'll give her a chance."

* * *

Mimi arrived at school to discover that Karen had spread the word about her date with Mark.

Karen & Renee were, predictably, both impressed and jealous. Sarah had a different view, though.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to date an older boy? Have you told your parents?"

Mimi replied. "Yes, why wouldn't it be? He's only 17, so it's really more like dating a junior. Mark was a perfect gentleman the whole time. And of course I haven't told Mom & Dad. They'd freak if they knew."

Sarah fixed Mimi with a stony gaze. "Have you thought about why?"

"Come on, Dad's overprotective. He would have had a fit if I had told him about going to the dance with Dan."

Tim spoke up. "I'm with Sarah on this one. Why is a senior interested in a freshman girl, anyway? Can't he get a girl his age? Or is he hoping that you'll . . ."

Mimi cut Tim off with a slap. Unfortunately Tim managed to intercept the slap with his forearm, and except for the inevitable red handprint, he would probably be no worse for wear. "At least I'm dating within my species." She snarled before storming off into the school.

Tim caught up to Mimi in the hallway after third period, hoping she'd calmed down. A laser-like stare dashed that hope, but he still had to talk to her. He walked toward her, and she quickly turned.

"Mimi, wait! Please!" She stopped. She said nothing but continued to glare daggers at him. "First, I'm sorry. I really put my foot in my mouth this morning. I am concerned, but that was probably the worst way for me to say it. Second, can you come to the mansion tonight?"

She relaxed, but only slightly. "You're forgiven, but I'm not really in the mood to hang out. Maybe tomorrow night."

"I don't blame you. The invitation isn't from me though. Bruce wants you to come."

Mimi turned white. "Oh. Well, in that case, I guess I'll be seeing you tonight, then."

* * *

Mimi walked in the garage door and gaped at a row of pristine, chrome-encrusted classic cars. Gaping, she took in the scene car by car, bit by bit. She noticed that some noise was coming from a car in back, at the end of the row.

Coming around the end of the row, she noticed a somewhat shabbier-looking 70s-ish Chevy. Next to it, lieing open was a red mechanic's toolbox on wheels, and a wadded up oily rag. Beyond that, a familiar pair of Converse sneakers stuck out from under the car.

"Ummmmmm, hello?" Mimi said.

**CLUNK **"Ow" Tim rolled out from underneath the car, and sat up, rubbing his forehead. Mimi barely noticed the grease spot on his forehead, as she looked downward and realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. She glanced quickly at the floor, then back at Tim, realizing that the greasy rag must once have been his shirt. Flushing tremendously, Mimi's eyes shot up from Tim's well-defined chest, seeking his face.

Embarrassed, she thought I thought that was the armor in his suit!

Flushing anew, Mimi stammered, "Umm, uhh. I know I'm early, but I thought you wouldn't mind. I guess I should have called."

Tim stood up. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just about done here anyway. I'll take you inside, and while I get a shower, Alfred can get you a drink or something."

"Oh, okay." Mimi's cheeks reddened for a third time as her imagination ran wild with that thought.

They walked inside, and Tim located Alfred before heading upstairs for that shower. Alfred quickly provided Mimi with a cup of tea and a plate of cookies.

After a few minutes, Tim returned wearing a full-length robe. "Shall we go see the big guy?" Mimi gulped nervously and followed Tim into Mr. Wayne's study. Tim pulled back an antique grandfather clock, revealing a staircase. They descended into the Batcave.

In a leather office chair sat Batman, studying the largest computer screen Mimi had ever seen. The chair swiveled around, and Mimi saw that he was unmasked. Tim stepped aside and went through a nearby door.

"You're here. Despite my . . . misgivings about the situation, I've decided to allow you the chance to earn my trust as you have Robin's. I won't stop you from working with him. Instead, I believe it would be in our – and your – best interests to help you."

Mimi asked "How?"

"First, we need to make your costume more practical. Robin and Alfred already have some ideas, so you'll work with them on that. At the minimum, you need more protection than your current suit provides."

"Okay, but I don't want that heavy armor that Robin has. It'd just slow me down."

Batman nodded. "We can do that. You're fast enough to avoid most gunfire. Then there's the issue of self-defense training."

"Whoa! No way! I don't want to hurt anyone! I'm a magician, not a wrestler – I don't need to beat people up." Mimi crossed her arms defiantly.

"I don't expect you to start beating people up, but you do need to know how to defend yourself. And if necessary, Robin. There are plenty of techniques that focus on disabling an opponent. That's the sort of thing I have in mind."

Mimi relaxed. "What kind of stuff would you be teaching me?"

"Actually, that's my department." Mimi turned to see Robin, wearing a new, subtly different costume. The domino mask was replaced with a cowl, with the top cut out to expose his hair. Mimi also noticed that the R' on his chest was shiny, as if it were metal. "You might want to change. We usually conduct business in costume down here."

Mimi stepped into the locker room, transformed, and emerged as Saint Tail. She saw Robin and Alfred studying an image of her costume. Batman was climbing into the batmobile, and then sped off. She leaned on the back of the chair in which Robin was sitting, causing her ponytail to slide down her shoulder. "So whatcha got for me?"

Robin turned to her to reply, but got a faceful of hair. Brushing the hair out of his face, he tried again. "Well, we tried not to change the design any more than neccessary."

She looked at the image. "I don't see any changes at all."

Robin zoomed in on some of the details. "The suit uses the same lightweight kevlar that all our costumes do. It's lightweight and flexible, but resists most light firearms. We toyed with a design with sleeves, but I didn't think it would look as good on you."

"Master Robin, you do have to consider the young lady's comfort. My design would be more practical in the winter, even if it isn't as appealing." commented Alfred. St. Tail felt her face flush, even as Robin's face reddened.

"Maybe I should look at it." said St. Tail. She thought she saw a momentary look of disappointment on Robin's face.

Alfred continued. "Another idea we had involves gas dispensers in your gloves.

"That sounds good. The perfume bottle I use is cute, but not too practical. Hey, what about one of those rocket-line things you guys use? That would definitely be handy."

Robin thought for a moment. "Yeah, but the standard batgrapple isn't quite right for your motif. What if we made a copy of your wand to include it?"

"Hmm. I'd have to give up a couple gimmicks I have in the original, but I can figure something out. I'll give it a try." She handed over her wand for Robin to examine.

"Yeah, the batgrapple system would work fine in here. I'll take a few pictures for reference, and we'll get to work on it. I should also get a few of you in costume, so we get the details right."

"Oh, they're not for your private collection, then?" She laughed as Robin gave her a dirty look, and then paused as if he were considering her suggestion. "Well, I'm safer with you as the photographer than Malcolm. I think." She let Robin take several shots from various angles, and then struck a few cute poses "for his collection." St. Tail noted with amusement that Robin did actually take the pictures, though.

Then she looked at the winter design Alfred had come up with. It wasn't a major change – it had an insulated top with longer sleeves, both to keep her warm and give her a little more protection. She agreed to that design in addition to the upgrade of her standard costume.

Alfred took her measurements (for some reason, Robin refused to do it). "We should have the suits ready in a few days, Miss Hanover. Timothy of course will let you know. Welcome to the team."

* * *

Uggg. This is really cutting into my paid writing time. But I do have to keep all you my loyal fans happy so here is another example of my halcyon genius. But enough of that. We can speak of those matters later. You may have noticed that we are going in a slightly different path regarding relationships in St. Tail's life. I know that a few of you will chafe a little at this. Well tough shit this is our fanfic and Dan junior had enough time to get his shit together and well quite frankly I got tired of the little wimp being so thick headed,. WARNING: PLOT SPOILER.

Those of you who love Starfire don't get too cozy.

Well I do like Mark he is a hot babe.OOOOOHH and oh so rich too. And unlike some guys he's not afraid to break out the green stuff for a girl. As you will see in future episodes and he's quite creative on a date. Tim will have a run for his money literally.

Oh and incase you hadn't noticed St. Tail is an official member of the bat team and don't think this will go unnoticed with the police but I'm sure Bruce will grease a few palms along the way somewhere.

GRIN

Well I don't want to stun you all too much with my absolutely ingenious insight. So, that's all for now my pretties.

-Raven


	10. Masks

Gotham Magic Episode 10 – Masks

"_In which a big-leaguer gets in big trouble."_

In the Batcave deep under Wayne Manor, Robin sat at the main terminal for the cave's computer. It was currently acting as a videophone, allowing him to talk to his friend Cyborg of the Teen Titans. Cyborg was updating Robin on the day's activities. Things had not gone well.

"We could have used your help today, Rob. We tried to stop a theft at STAR Labs, tried being the operative word. This girl made us all look like amateurs, and got away with the same type of computer chip Slade's robots took last week. She seemed to have a way to shut each of us down. Used this weird adhesive gunk to trap BB, gagged Raven, used this tangler thing on Star. She even knew how to hack into my systems. Sure you can't come up to Manhattan early?"

"Sorry, but I can't get away. It's a busy week at school, and Batman's a real stickler for keeping my grades up. He's not even letting me patrol. But I'll see what I can do from here. Tell me more about the culprit."

"She called herself 'Red X', and she moved even faster than you. I saved the data from my bionic eye. I'll upload it so you can take a look." Cyborg extended a cable from his left arm, and plugged it into a port just offscreen.

Robin watched the computer download the file. "Okay, got it." He opened the file, and video of Red X played in a window. Robin watched from Cyborg's point of view as the girl systematically took down each of the Titans.

"I see what you mean. She's really good. I'll see what I can dig up. There might be a connection between her and Slade. It's too much of a coincidence that she went for the same chip. I suggest staking out companies making similar tech."

"No problem. That'll pretty much be my spare parts vendor list anyway. I'll let you know when something happens."

"Thanks. See ya, pal.

"Later, Rob.

* * *

Red X struck again on Thursday, and then again on Saturday. Starfire was glad that Robin was here finally. Cyborg was a good fighter and a trusted friend, but he wasn't the tactician that Robin was. This time Red X struck at WayneTech's Manhattan research location. Robin got them in easily (but then he did have insider info), and they split up to locate the thief.

Red X had already eluded Raven and Beast Boy, but now Robin, Cyborg and Starfire had her surrounded. Starfire stood back a little to cover the exits, as did Cyborg, to let Robin take a shot at X.

Ready to strike if she got a clear shot, Starfire watched. Robin fought with all of his usual skill, but Red X somehow avoided almost all of his attacks, and blocked the few that she couldn't dodge. At least he had X on the defensive – she wouldn't easily trap Robin. She fought back by throwing a net, which Robin easily dodged. X threw an advesive grenade, only to have to dodge it herself as Robin knocked it back with his staff.

Finally Red X got a clear shot. She tossed a small X-shaped bundle that hit Robin in the chest. It expanded into a cross-shaped mass of cords, wrapping around Robin and immobilizing him.

Even as Robin fell, he shouted, "Don't worry about me! Get after her!" Red X jumped over Cyborg and ran down the hallway beyond. He turned and pursued.

Starfire ran to Robin and looked at his bonds, which looked like ribbons. She touched one of them. It felt like silk, which Star remembered was a strong fiber made by certain insects. It also burned very easily. She pinched one section and triggered a low-power starbolt, burning through the ribbon. A few more burns in carefully-chosen locations, and Robin was free.

"Thanks." he said as he stood up. "Now let's give Cyborg a hand.

"Don't bother – she got away." said a dejected Cyborg, returning down the hallway.

Starfire felt a crushing disappointment. She had been certain that Robin's presence would make them victorious. She turned to her boyfriend, and noticed a smile forming on his face. He was holding a tracking device.

"That's what she thinks." said Robin.

* * *

The signal lead the Titans to an old warehouse. It was a delapidated ramshackel building that had been on the cities beautification board list for demolition for the last five years and had actually been condemned for eight. Through the swiss cheesed roof they each took up watch over the proceedings below. Red X was negotiating with Slade. Out of nowhere a spherical device shot over to Red X. It enveloped the chips and darted away from her grasp returning to Slade. He casually reached up and seized it in his hand. In the blink of an eye the warehouse was bathed in bright florescent light revealing a score of Slade's machine warriors. Starfire was astounded to see Red X surrounded.

"Now!" yelled Robin, dropping through the hole. Cyborg smashed the hole open as he jumped down, giving plenty of room for the others. A bright green hawk darted through the opening shadowed by a menacing ebony bird shape. Starfire brought up the rear, and began blasting the robots. Raven followed suit with her telekinesis.

Robin confronted Slade, of course. Beast Boy, in gorilla form, had Red X in a shoulder hold, and Cyborg had her covered with his sonic cannon. Wonderous, now if Robin can just deal with Slade . . .>

Robin turned from Slade, and what he said shocked Starfire. "Let her go! She's on our side!" Slade ran, and Robin pursued him

Cyborg lowered his cannon-arm, and his jaw dropped in shock. "On our side? I think Bird-boy's gone nuts."

Beast Boy, also shocked, slackened his hold slightly, allowing Red X to slip out. He tried to grab her, but only managed to snag her cape. The cape along with her mask, came off in his hand.

Red X quickly covered her face with her hands and turned around. Her hair was tightly braided, but Starfire recognized the shade of red.

Red X chanted, "One . . . two . . . THREE!" A cloud of smoke engulfed her. They were confused, but nonetheless the Titans quickly surrounded her. The cloud dispersed, revealing Saint Tail.

Star fire exclaimed "St. Tail? But I . . ."

Beast boy chimed in "WOAH St Tail is working for Slade No way aooboy she …"

Raven interjected darkly "No, she was working for Robin and he lied to us."

St. Tail looked up in surprise. "But... I just assumed Robin told you that ... I mean - why wouldn't he tell you about my involvement?"

Starfire looked at each of her friends in turn, not knowing what to say. Her gaze settled on Cyborg – she'd never seen him look this way. A dark shadow settled on his face. She heard a high-pitched whirring sound that apparently was coming from Cyborg's fists. They were clenched so tightly that the motors within were shrieking in protest. Starfire heard him say darkly, "I don't know but I plan to find out."

* * *

Robin saw Slade just ahead effortlessly vaulting the distance between buildings. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He was already tiring. And Slade looked as if he had just started. I've got to catch him or all this will be for nothing and the guys will be majorly P.O.ed at me. How can HE run like that and not get tired? Finally Robin put on a burst of speed and caught up to Slade on top of the LexInn South Hotel. Oh lord I can't believe the coincidence.>

"Very good Robin you're improving. I see your training is paying off."

"Yeah and it's going to send you to jail!"

"And do you plan to send your little friend as well?"  
"What are you talking about?" Robin threw a few smoke bombs. They seemed to move in slow motion as Slade evaded them.

"Now come Robin we all know that she is the one who committed the crime after all and did you think you could really fool me with that ridiculous cat and mouse game?"

"It worked well enough to draw you out didn't it? Now hand over those chips"

"And after St. Tail worked so hard to obtain them for me. I think not. I will just keep them"

Robin angrily charged Slade, who casually stepped aside. Either I'm getting sloppy or Slade's just toying with me. I have to get my act together.> Before Robin could fully realize what was going on, Slade threw him. Robin sailed over the edge of the building. He barely managed to grab the edge, and he could feel his grip slipping. Slade strolled over, and stood above Robin.

"Now this is disappointing, Robin. Obviously I need to work with you more." the one-eyed villain gloated, holding the chips up triumphantly. Then a black aura surrounded Robin, and began to lift him from the ledge. Slade tried to grab Robin from Raven's "grasp", so he failed to notice a green shape dart behind him. Beast Boy, in hawk form, swooped in and snatched the chips from Slade's hand.

Raven deposited Robin and Saint Tail on the rooftop, and Starfire dropped Cyborg. Beast Boy perched on Raven's shoulder, the chips clutched in one talon. They had Slade surrounded.

Or so Robin thought. Slade ran directly toward St. Tail, avoiding the crossfire of starbolts, sonic blasts, birdarangs and telekinesis. Saint Tail responded by throwing a bundle of ribbon, obviously planning to wrap him up the way she had Robin. Slade dodged this as well, and knocked her aside with his staff.

Robin bolted to Saint Tail's side. "Are you all right?" She nodded, but clutched her arm. "Let me see that." Robin insisted. Then he noticed the rest of the Titans behind him.

"Slade got away. And you've got some explaining to do." Cyborg growled. The Titans were all glaring at him, and Starfire looked angriest of all.

* * *

Back at the tower, Robin began. "We've spent weeks trying to find Slade. This seemed to be the only way to bring him to us. After Starfire almost got hurt during that last run-in, I had to do something."

"But you didn't have a problem putting me at risk." said St. Tail.

"Yes. It is not right to put one friend in danger to protect others. Why did you not tell us what you were doing?" asked Starfire.

"If you guys had known, you would have held back. And I figured T was good enough to keep out of your way." Robin hoped the compliment would pacify St. Tail a little. Her expression didn't change.

"And how would you have felt if we had hurt her? Or even killed her?" Raven added.

Robin dropped into a chair. "Horrible. I admit, this wasn't a good idea. But Slade has to be stopped!"

Beast Boy chipped in, "Keep this up, and you'll have to trade your mask in for bat ears. We'll get him, dude."

"Yeah, but you need to trust us." said Cyborg.

Robin stared at the floor. "I do."

"And we need to be able to trust you. You're our leader. Without you, there really isn't a team."

Robin looked at Cyborg. "You can. I'm sorry. This plan was a huge mistake. I don't expect you to forget, but I hope you can forgive me."

Cyborg smiled "We'll let it slide this time. Now, what does everyone want on their pizza? Star?"

"Please, as our guest, I think Saint Tail should go first."

Beast Boy nudged Robin with his elbow. "You're lucky – most guys' girlfriends wouldn't get along that well." Robin scowled at the emerald annoyance, who took no notice. He glanced over at Starfire, who looked confused for a moment, but quickly hid it.

He walked over to Raven. "Could you take a look at T's arm? She says it's okay, but I'd like to be sure."

"Sure" She finished giving her order to Cyborg, then strolled over to the pony tailed thief. After a brief exchange, Robin saw her perform her usual healing ritual.

* * *

After dinner, Starfire decided to talk to St. Tail. It would be nice to get to know one of Robin's closest friends from home. Besides, St. Tail had seemed upset with Robin during dinner – she didn't talk to him at all, and avoided eye contact. Star approached the hallway containing the guest rooms (which were located on the top floor, well away from the regular rooms and any secure areas). She saw Robin ahead, turning the corner to St. Tail's room. Curious, she stopped just around the corner and watched.

Robin knocked on the door. It opened for a moment, revealing St. Tail. She frowned, then quickly closed the door before Robin could enter. "Go away!" Starfire heard the girl say.

Robin spoke to the closed door. "C'mon, T, let me in. I'm sorry. Everyone else has forgiven me."

"You used me."

"I told you what I had in mind, and you agreed to it. I left out a couple details . . ."

"Details? I thought the Titans were in on your little scheme! You deliberately left that "little detail" out because you thought – correctly – that I wouldn't do it otherwise. You lied to me! And to your team! Why didn't you tell them about me?"

The regret was obvious on Robin's face. "We already went through that."

Starfire thought about that. About me? What does she mean by that? Robin explained his reasons already. Could there be more to them than just friendship? No. I can trust Robin.>

St. Tail continued to yell through her door. "You didn't want them to hold back, right? You wanted the fights to look real! Of course, I could have been hurt, but at least Starfire would be all right!"

Robin looked pained. "It's not like that! I knew you could handle it. I wouldn't have asked you if I thought you'd get hurt."

Starfire felt a little annoyed at this. She was a warrior of Tameran. She did not need protecting. Did Robin value this thief girl's abilities over her own?

"I just feel like you were willing to sacrifice me to protect your girlfriend. It's like, I'm just your partner and your friend, and I really don't matter to you. I'm just someone to kill time with between visits with Star." said St. Tail.

"That's not true! You're very important to me!" Robin shouted. He paused for a moment, his head resting on the door, then continued in a whisper, "I just wish I knew how to prove it to you."

"All right Robin, maybe we can just talk about this in the morning. I'm really tired and I want to get some sleep."

Robin turned with a defeated look on his face, and headed in the opposite direction from Starfire, back to his room.

Confused, Starfire turned away from the scene. Not understanding all that she'd heard, she decided to get a little fresh air. She walked to the nearest roof access door, and entered the security code.

* * *

Saint Tail rolled away from the door, leaned with her back against the wall, and sighed. She looked longingly at the bed for a few moments, and sighed again. She knew she was way too wound up to sleep. Suddenly it dawned on her that on the way to her room, they had passed a gym. In fact, Victor had bragged about the state-of-the-art equipment. Just the thing to blow off some steam,> she thought.

Across from the gym, she noticed a door with a control panel set in the wall next to it. It had drawn her attention because it was flashing green, and most other doors in the tower had displayed a steady red light.

Curious, she walked over to the door. Behind the door was a stairway leading upward. It led to the roof access door, which was open. Next to a telescope, with her back to St. Tail, floated Starfire.

Glad to have someone to talk to, Saint Tail began, "Excuse me, Starfire, can we…." Star turned in a fury, eyes aglow, starbolts readied. "WHAT!"

St. Tail fought off a bout of panic. Robin had been teaching her to fight, but she wasn't ready to take on a ticked-off super-strong alien. "Umm, I just wanted to talk to you."

Kory snapped, "Perhaps I care not to speak with you."

St. Tail immediately guessed what was bothering the alien girl. "Robin and I are only friends. There is nothing between us. I don't understand why you are so angry. Don't you trust Robin?"

Starfire's face was a portrait of conflict. "Yes, at least I did. He should not have lied to us to…me I… besides he does not trust us. He lied to us and how now to trust him . . ."

"I can understand your anger there. He didn't tell me either. In fact, I thought you knew and I am sorry about that. I just wanted to help, not cause trouble for you and Robin. You need to talk to him. He is sorry he lied to you and he's worried that you will not trust him any more."

"He seemed more worried about your trusting him. You were very angry to him just now." said Starfire.

St. Tail frowned. "Yeah. I'm still angry, too. But he's my friend, so I'll give him a second chance. Not until the morning, though. I have a bit of a temper, and I want to be calm when we discuss this. Besides, I think he deserves to sweat it a little."

Koriand'r giggled for a second, then she became serious. "The feelings between you are seeming too strong for just friends. He has you for a friend for only a short time but he is my … friend for much longer. Yet he is more . . . open with you. I thought … I am not sure now how Robin is feeling to me. I …"

"You thought he loved you? Well I think he does. I hear no end about you from Robin. He's always telling me about you. I think he likes having someone he can tell."

"But you ? What do you feel for Robin? He is good yes? How to not like him? I liked him the first time we met. He is nice and kind and pleasing to me . . ." Starfire concentrated for a moment, obviously trying to find the right word. "Handsome And he is a great warrior and so many here are not so."

St Tail snickered. "He is. I do care for him and I would not let any thing bad happen to him. But still, as much as I've come to care for him in a short time I am still only his friend. Go talk to him and work things out. I know he cares for you a lot."

"I am … sorry I should not have made a.. well I should trust Robin. You are right I will go to him. Thank you St. Tail. Will you accept my regret?"

"Of course. I'd like to be friends. Now get going!"

With that, Star flew down to Robin's window and tapped. A moment later, the window opened, and the princess flew in.

St Tail turned towards the telescope to take a look at the stars. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw a amorphous ebony raven phased through the roof. It hovered for a moment, then coalesced into Raven. "I know that couldn't have been easy for you." she said, pulling her hood back.

St. Tail barely choked out "What do you mean?"

"You have more feelings for Robin than you let on to Koriand'r."

Mimi felt the blood drain from her face. "How do you .. I mean no I don't. Robin's just a friend."

Raven smiled wryly. "I guess you're not aware I'm an empath. When I healed your arm, I felt part of what you do for a moment."

"Oh no… but I would never…"

Raven's smile changed. St. Tail guessed that it was Raven's best attempt at warmth. "I know. I can tell that too. But I can also see how conflicted it makes you feel."

"Yeah sort of, but I can't do anything about it. I like Star and I want to be friends and I don't want to come between them."

"Yes sometimes it's hard to keep our internal conflicts in check." The shadows seemed to darken for a moment around the cloaked girl.

"Wait do you like Robin too?"

"No. But I can relate I have my own conflicts."

"Oh, sorry. Were you going to look through the telescope?" St. Tail stepped away from the instrument.

"I can wait until you're finished. I also come up here to be alone at times. I find star gazing peaceful before I meditate."

"Yeah it's kinda cool. We have a telescope at St P… school. Well, it's a little cold out here." St. Tail hoped the change of topic would cover her slip of the tongue.

Raven replied, "So want to get a cup of tea?"

"Oh yes, thanks I could use it."

"I know. Going around practically naked isn't a great idea this time of year."

St. Tail glared at Raven with mock indignation. "Hey I'll have you know this is a pretty modest costume! I admit my dad wasn't too thrilled with it, but I'm his "little girl". Besides, look at Starfire's outfit."

"You have a point. Her solar powers keep her warm, though." Raven turned and sank through the floor. "I'll meet you in the kitchen."

St. Tail stood there confused. "Umm . . . where's the kitchen ?"

* * *

Okay, it should be obvious that this episode was derived from the Teen Titans episode of the same name. I'm sure people will let us know if the characterizations are off. As with Starfire, we're filling out the characters of the rest of the Titans with details from the original comic versions. Thus, Cyborg is Victor Stone, and Beast Boy is Gar Logan. We've got profiles for the Titans which will be going up on the website as soon as I find the time . . . 


End file.
